Alteration of Fate
by DaniUberAlles
Summary: After Edward leaves Bella in New Moon she breaks. With nothing left to loose she takes her fate into her own hands and heads down a dark and dangerous path, one that may just lead to her death. A/U
1. Chapter 1: Time

**December:**

The rain poured down all around me, dripping off the tree branches and soaking my skin to the bone. Somewhere in the distance, an animal stirred, rustling the leaves and crunching over them as though in a great hurry. Keeping my eyes shut tight, I felt my heart shattering into a thousand tiny pieces, each one cutting like a piece of glass, stabbing me from the inside. Soon, I would die.

Minutes passed slowly but death never came. Every inch of my body stung with pain, as though it were being stuck with needles; deeper and deeper they went. Suddenly, the light that was trying to break through my closed lids disappeared and I slowly cracked open my eyes.

A tall man was standing over me, looking down in concern. He picked me up and carried me through the forest as a fire erupted against the parts of my body that were touching him. I said nothing. He said nothing, just walked along, as though this was all part of his job—part of what he was meant to do.

"_It will be as though I never existed_."

The words ripped through my mind and an explosion of pain shot through my entire body. My mouth flew open as I screamed, trying to force it out of my system. In the distance, I could hear my name being called. I could feel the man holding me shake me, but I didn't stop. Louder and louder I screamed, trying anything to get the feeling out of my body. He shook harder, I screamed louder, and finally, I woke up.

"Bella, Bella! It's okay. It was just a dream." Charlie was sitting on the bed next to me, rubbing my head with one hand, his eyes with the other.

Turning towards the clock, I saw it was five in the morning, almost time for him to get up for work. It had been weeks since he had actually woke me up from my dreams. Most days he let them run their course, but from the look in his eyes, I could tell he was at his wits end with his new alarm clock.

Standing slowly, he walked out the door; the floor board creaked under the weight of his tired and heavy body. Before he closed it, he turned to look back at me; the pain in his eyes was nothing compared to what I was sure he saw in mine. It hurt to see what this was doing to him. Even though Charlie and I weren't close, he was still my father, and the thought that my being here was making his life worse only added to the thoughts running through my mind.

"Bells."

"Yes?" To my surprise, I actually managed to form words.

"Billy and Harry wanted me to come over and watch the game tonight, but I don't have to go if you'd rather I was here."

"No, go. I'll be, I mean, its okay, go. I know you want to." I couldn't say I'd be fine, I couldn't even say I'd be okay, because even though it didn't matter if he stayed or not, I wouldn't be.

"Alright. See you tonight." Closing the door slowly, I heard him walk back to his room to get ready for work.

Lying on the bed, I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them tightly. No tears slid down my cheeks--they hadn't for weeks. It was as though my body had forgotten how to make them. My eyes burned from their absence as I waited, listening for the sound that meant Charlie had left.

Once I heard the front door close, I ran to the bathroom, not able to hold the pain in any longer. Falling to my knees I retched and choked as the hurt tried to find another path out of my body. After a few minutes, my stomach subsided and I leaned back against the wall, working on catching my breath.

A shower was in order after that, and I followed all the same motions I did everyday in order to pretend I was living my life--brushing my teeth, combing my hair, using as little effort as possible, yet still putting on the show that I was trying. Throwing my pajamas back on, I descended the stairs to the living room and flipped on the television.

Weekends were the worst. There was no school and no homework to distract me since I did it during the week. Flipping through the channels, I tried to find something, anything, to watch that wouldn't bring up memories. It was hard, as everything I saw I could relate to him. My heart thumped loudly, protesting, yelling at me for even thinking of mentioning him.

Giving up on finding something to occupy my mind and pass the time, I headed into the kitchen to see if there was anything to clean in there. Of course, there wasn't; the house was spotless, just as it had been for the last two months. I knew there was a load of laundry in Charlie's room, and after last night's dream and the sweat I had worked up, I was sure my sheets could stand to be washed.

I moved slowly like a snail, making each step, each move, exact and precise, trying to waste away the minutes until nightfall. The clock read six a.m.; my shoulders slumped as I exhaled loudly. This Saturday would be like all the rest, and like all the rest, I wasn't sure if I'd make it through.

The television was still on in the living room, mumbling on about some product for sale that I'd never buy, or about some new movie coming out I'd never go see. It was just background noise, but it still entered my ears and placed images in my head. Rushing into the room, I hit the button to turn it off just as the announcer was describing the golden yellow glow of the latest style of sports car.

Grabbing my coat from the back of the chair, I ran outside, zipping it up tightly as I hit the front porch steps. Sleet was pounding down from the dark gray clouds, slopping to the ground, soaking and freezing me all at the same time. I had no idea where I was going, but I had to go somewhere, anywhere.

In front of me, my breath clouded my view in the morning haze, making it hard to see where I was going. Falling down several times didn't send me home, but pushed me to move faster, farther. My mind was clear, only able to focus on the chattering of my teeth, the shaking of my hands, the perfect solution to my over thinking problem.

The sun was now shining brightly overhead and I could feel hunger pangs bouncing around my stomach. I'd been walking all through the town, gone down every street, passed by every house, and just as I was ready to head home, I found myself there, as though my feet knew it was where I needed to go.

Sitting down in the kitchen, I fought to pull my boots off my feet. My socks were soaked all the way through, freezing my toes and feet. Stripping down, I ran up the stairs and turned the hot water on in the shower, jumping in and jolting my body back to a normal temperature. My whole body began to tingle and my head started to spin as I stood in the steam, taking in its warmth.

Climbing out of the shower, I wrapped the towel tightly around myself. I had taken my second shower of the day and used up another half an hour. Maybe I would just spend all of tomorrow showering; I'd be very clean, and the day would go by much quicker. Rubbing the water off the mirror, I looked at myself for a split second before turning away in disgust. I was somehow even paler then before, with dark circles under my eyes and a look of death all about me; it was as though I were... I couldn't say it, I could barely think it.

Heading to my room, I saw that it was one in the afternoon. Somehow I had walked the streets of Forks for over five hours. My legs should have hurt. My thighs should ache every time I tried to sit down, my calves should burn, my feet should throb, but they didn't. All the pain was in my chest, around my heart, just like it always was, and always would be.

Charlie would be calling soon. It was his lunch time, and he liked to check up on me on the weekends. For the first month he took weekends off, only working when he had to, but I convinced him it was okay; that he couldn't always be around, and that if he wanted things to be normal, he had to act normal. Even though they seemed to help him, they were just words to me--meaningless and useless.

Against my better judgment, I turned the television back on while I forced down my lunch. Every meal was now home cooked, if only to take up more time. I'd started making smaller amounts of food so there were no leftovers and added more courses to each meal. Most days I was glad we didn't have a dishwasher, as chores always helped eat up the time.

The first channel I tried was bad; it was showing a commercial for a new car stereo and my mind flashed to the one hidden in the back of my closet, ripped from its home. Switching it quickly to the next one, there was a scene of a birthday party. My heart slammed itself around in my chest as I jammed my finger down on the button. A woman appeared in the scene walking out onto a moss-covered balcony, her deep brown hair flowing down her back, her dress billowing behind her. Softly she spoke and loudly I broke.

Juliet was there, before me, in all her 1968 beauty. Pushing as hard as I could, I hit the off button and ran up the stairs, throwing myself onto my bed. Tightly, I clung to myself, fighting to keep the memories from that day at bay. All around me life was trying to bring them up, to push them into my mind.

Somewhere, it sounded far off, I could hear a phone ringing. Pulling myself together, I reached around, searching for the source of the sound. Finding the phone on the bedside table I answered it, clearing my voice as I coughed out the words.

"Hello?"

"Bells? Did you just wake up?"

"Sure."

"Why don't you come to town, meet me for lunch?"

"I already ate, Charlie."

"Oh, well I guess I'll go alone then."

"Okay." I should have told him that I'd packed him a lunch and that he'd forgot it, but my lungs were already protesting.

"Well, I'll see you tonight then. Bye."

Clicking the off button, I dropped the phone to the floor, the thud ringing loudly in my ears. I waited, knowing soon his face would flash before my eyes, bringing all the pains surging back, but nothing happened. The thought of him stung, but his face wasn't there; it was as though I'd forgotten what he looked like.

Frantic, I searched my mind for some thought of him, some real memory that I could grasp hold of, could be sure was real, but I found nothing. I tried and tried to build his face in my mind, reconstruct his chin, his hair, those golden eyes, but every time I tried, I came up with my own face.

How could this be? He was a thing of beauty, perfect in every way, and I wasn't even close to that. I was plain and simple; my face would never look like his, never go with his, unless I were the same thing he was, and that was never an option. The thing I had once dreamed about becoming would never come true; no matter what I did, that road was closed, and would never reopen.

My whole body was exhausted, drained physically and mentally from trying so desperately to cling to the past. One last time, I tried to see his face, hear his voice, but it was no use.

He was gone.

Forever.

Finally, the tears poured down my cheek, soaking my coverless pillow. Shaking, I pulled a blanket tightly over myself, wrapping it around me like a shield. There was no strength left in me, nothing holding the floodgates back, and I let them come crashing open.

"Edward," I tried, whispering his name at first. "Edward," I called, speaking his name, begging for him to come back. "Edward!" I was screaming his name, trying to cling on as tightly as I could, but it was no use.

I knew this was it; this was the moment I would die. All the pain I'd felt over the last few months would come back, they would all hit me at the same time and it would be too much for my body to handle. It would break me down so far I wouldn't be able to be put back together and my body would finally give in and give up.

Instead, something unexpected happened; everything went dark and my mind shut down. Before I could stop it, before I knew what was happening, I was asleep. And all my old dreams were gone, replaced by new ones, ones that were a thousand times worse, and a thousand times better.

That was the night my future changed.

That was the first night in months that I dreamt of Edward Cullen.


	2. Chapter 2: Snap Decision

"There is a pretty bad storm coming this way; better be careful on your way home." Charlie grabbed his keys off the hook and headed for the front door.

"Okay."

"See you later."

"Yeah."

He slumped out the door, looking even more irritated than normal at my zombie-like state. Dragging myself around the kitchen, I slammed the fridge open and closed as I put away the milk. Prodding my cereal with my spoon, I exhaled loudly, frustrated to no end with my mind.

That morning Charlie woke me up again; this time because my alarm was beeping, and I wasn't turning it off. I was in a deep, deep sleep, dreaming good dreams for once; good dreams that I couldn't remember. Fighting with my brain, I tried to pull them from my memory but it was no use.

Pulling on my coat and shoes, I headed for the door, grabbing my keys and leaving my uneaten breakfast sitting on the table. The wind blew strongly, whipping my hair around my face and stinging my eyes. Typical December in Forks: cold, snowy, and rainy all at the same time.

Newton's store wasn't very far from my house; really, everything in Forks wasn't very far from my house. I made it there before the truck heater even had time to warm up. Pulling around to the back of the store, I parked and climbed out. Rushing inside, I shook off the snow and started pealing my layers off. Mike was behind the register, opening everything up and setting out some new pens his mother had just ordered.

"Hey Bella. How's it going?" He put his best forced smile on, but lost it when he didn't get one in return.

"Hey. Fine." Grabbing my vest from under the other register, I found the key to my cash drawer and opened it up.

"You wouldn't by chance," biting his lip, he paused. I raised my eyebrows at him and he shook his head. "Nothing. Never mind.

This was the most we had spoken, well, since I started working there. Mike always avoided me like the plague, much like everyone else did. At first it bothered me, but after a while I got used to it and realized if no one talked to me, then I wouldn't have to talk to them. I could go on for days, weeks, maybe even years, and never have to talk about or hear about him.

At the sound of the word my heart started to protest, shaking itself violently around in my chest, beating into my lungs till they were breathless. Reaching up, I put my hand over it, trying to calm myself and keep it from busting through my ribs, but it was no use. Anguish filled me up and I had to fight back the tears that wanted to brim over my lids.

"You okay? You look like, like you're going to cry. I didn't offend you did I?" He rushed over to me, but I put my arm out to keep him away.

"I'm fine, just a little heartburn, that's all."

"Must have been something you ate. Last night I had Italian for dinner and it did that to me."

"Italian?" Something about the word stuck in my brain as though it were a key to something, to some kind of mystery door.

"Yeah. My mom went there last month and came back with all these new recipes, so now we have it pretty much every night. I'm so sick of garlic."

"Garlic?" Flashes filled my eyes--it was my dream.

Rushing from the room I flew out the back door and jumped in my truck. Turning the key as hard as I could, the engine fought to turn over but it couldn't, or it wouldn't. Mike was suddenly at my window, tapping on it with a look of utter concern on his face.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

"I've got to go home, cover for me?"

"Yeah, sure."

Finally, the engine kicked into place and the truck roared to life. Backing out quickly, the tires yelled as they met the sopping wet pavement and burned down the street. As fast as I could I made for home, all the while the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

It was the dream, the first real dream I'd had. Unlike all the others, I knew it wasn't real. I didn't wake up scared or afraid because it was just a dream. Even though the events had really happened like in all the others, they didn't frighten me because they were all about him.

"Stop that!" I screamed at my heart as it followed its normal reaction at the thought of him.

Last night I had dreamt of _that_ night, the night of my birthday-- not of the horror, or of the pain. But of the time before, of he and I lying on the couch, watching Romeo and Juliet, of his tales of Italy and the royal family of vampires that lived there. Of his plans to go to them, to beg for death should he ever loose me, and of their keeping of the laws of their world.

Everything from the day before fell into place. That was why everything was pointing back to that day, to that very moment; it was the answer to my problems, the way to make my pain go away forever. The only way that I could get things the way they were supposed to be--to get my life back.

The idea was crazy; it was dangerous, even insane, but it had to work. Pulling up to the house, I jumped out of the truck, leaving it running, rushed to my room to pack a small bag, and back down the stairs. In the kitchen I found a pen and paper and started a note, one I needed hours to properly write but only had seconds to complete.

_Charlie,_

_I'm sorry but,_

No, that wasn't right. I couldn't break it to him this way.

_Dad,_

_There are a few things I really need to sort out. Please don't worry about me, everything will turn out fine. I will call you as soon as I can._

_Love,_

_Bella_

That would have to do; time was ticking by so quickly and I knew every second mattered. It wasn't that I needed to get there soon, or even have a clue what I would do when I arrived--it was Alice. Part of me knew that she was still watching out for me, still searching for my future, and once she saw what I was planning, she'd be here in a moment, stopping me from making any rash decisions.

Flying back out to the truck, I slammed it in reverse and made for Port Angeles. The whole vehicle seemed to lag as I pushed it faster and faster down the snow-covered roads. Because I was in such a hurry the drive seemed to take so much longer. Maybe now would be the time to plan things out, think it all through, that way when I got there, I'd at least have some idea what I was getting into.

All I could remember about the Volturi was that they were like royalty, and enforced the laws, well the law of secrecy. I'd seen the painting of them in Carlisle's office but the memories from those days were so foggy I'd never be able to pick them out of a crowd. My best bet was to search for them in the most dangerous way possible--by threatening to expose them. Walking around the streets, loudly shouting 'vampire' was sure to get me on their radar. But then what?

That part would be a little more difficult. I had no idea how they would react-- would they listen to me, even give me a chance to speak, or just kill me right off? I could very well lose my life in a matter of seconds. But that didn't scare me. Other than Charlie and Renee, I had nothing to live for, and selfishly that didn't stop me. I knew that each would have ways of getting over me; honestly, Charlie was so annoyed with me, it may be somewhat of a relief not to have me around.

Parking in the small lot at the local airport, I gathered up my bag and ran to the gates. The lot was almost empty and so was the inside. Looking at my watch, I saw it was only eight in the morning and I hoped they'd have a plane to a larger airport I could catch.

The woman at the counter was large, very over-tanned and not very friendly. After a few minutes of searching, she found a flight for Seattle that was leaving in ten minutes. She assured me I'd never make it through to the gate in time, but I took the flight anyway.

Running faster than I ever had before, I pushed through the small crowd of people, darting through the security check point and sprinting the last few feet to the exit. With a minute and a half to spare, I found a seat on the small commuter, and shoved my bag underneath it.

"First time flyer?" A man in a dark suit asked as he eyed my foot, which was tapping a mile a minute.

"No--just in a hurry."

"Well don't be in too much of a rush, or you'll rush your life away."

"Exactly."

He didn't know just how right he was. I was literally rushing to my death. Either I would end my life as a human and start a new one, or I'd just end my life. I knew this would work, it just had to. If I were changed, if I were a vampire, like he was, there would be no problem. He didn't want to take my soul from me, fine. Someone else would do it, and then there would be no danger to my life anymore. I'd be indestructible, just like he was.

With every passing second, the small plane jerked up and down as it made its way around a large ice storm. Inside the small cabin, the lights flashed and all the passengers held tightly to their arm rests with baited breath. After a few more minutes, the pilot came on the radio and said we were almost to Seattle and would be landing in the next five minutes.

Now the real nerve-wracking part: getting a flight to New York, then Italy. Honestly, I had no idea where Volterra even was, and I was relying on someone selling the tickets to be able to help me. I was also hoping that the money I had left, my weekly Newton's paycheck money, would be enough to get me there.

As soon as we touched down I unfastened my seat belt, pulled my bag out and held it tightly to my chest. My pulse was starting to race and I could feel the sweat beading on the back of my neck. When the doors opened, I pushed quickly past the few other passengers, all of them swearing and yelling at me, and made for the closest ticket counter.

Running up to the first one I could find, I asked for the very next flight to New York. The man told me it didn't leave for another three hours so I darted through the crowded airport to the next counter. After two more tries I found one leaving in thirty five minutes; it was a long wait for me but it was the best I could do. All but throwing the money at the cashier, I asked if she knew where Volterra, Italy, was, but she'd never heard of it.

Again I dashed through the airport, knocking into anyone that got in my way, knocking myself down a few times in the process. If I weren't such a klutz I could have made it to the terminal in better time, but I still had a few minutes to spare while I was there. Since I couldn't board the plane for a little while longer, I went to a computer station and got on the internet.

Bringing up the browser, I typed in my search engine and tried to find out what the best city to fly to was. Nothing was around it, as though it were purposely built as far away from a major airport as possible. I'd never taken Italian, so I grabbed a napkin off the table and dug for a pen in my bag. Scribbling down the names of what looked like major cities around it, I went back to wait in line.

The flight to New York was much smoother, but took much longer. The pilot announced that we were making our descent into JFK airport and that the local time was six in the afternoon. I'd spent almost the whole day on the plane and had yet to eat anything, but my stomach didn't seem to mind. My head was so busy focusing on getting there that it had little time to worry about anything else.

Luck must have been with me because I found a flight to Florence, which I was told was about an hour and a half from Volterra, and it was leaving in just under an hour. Though the wait would almost kill me, it did give me time to grab a small bite to eat, which sat horribly in my stomach, and I called Charlie.

He was still at work, since Forks was a few hours behind, so I didn't bother to leave a message. Once I landed in Italy, I'd be sure to give him and Renee both one last phone call, just in case my plan didn't turn out so well.

Sitting in one of the many blue bench type seats I rested my head while I waited for my boarding row to be called. It was a good thing Renee had thought about getting married in Mexico and had insisted I get a passport; otherwise my trip would have been cut extremely short.

"Now boarding, all rows for flight number 0106 for Florence, Italy."

Getting up to find a spot in line, I stopped dead in my tracks. Across from the terminal, in a small shop was a girl; her hair was black and spiky, her frame was small and delicate. Moving quickly, I tried to get a better view of her and when she finally turned I let out a sigh of relief--it wasn't her. Part of me was sad it wasn't Alice, but if it had been, she would only be a hindrance to my plan. There was no way she would ever let me go through with it; it was much too dangerous, and even I knew it was likely to fail.

By the time we were all on the plane and ready for take-off, I was elated that I had made it. I knew I wasn't exactly there yet, but to have made it this far was a surprise to say the least. Slouching down in the seat, I stared out the window and watched the clouds rush by. Both my mind and my body were exhausted, and I wasn't sure how I would make it through the flight.

Hoping that in my advanced state of fatigue I would be able to have dreamless sleep, I let myself drift off. Everything went pitch black and stayed that way. There were no sounds, no people, and no nothing; just an eerie and intimidating darkness looming all around me. After what felt like a few minutes, I could feel hands touching my arms, and the shock woke me up.

"I'm sorry dear, but the plane is about to land. Could you please put your try table up?"

"Huh? Sure." Wiping my eyes, I did what she asked and glanced out the window.

The sunlight streaming in was almost blinding. It seemed to be very early in the morning, and I was actually feeling rested and ready to take on the day. Until I remembered what the day held. Suddenly, a new problem found its way into my mind. I didn't speak any Italian and I had no idea how to find a way to Volterra once I was actually on the ground.

As the exit doors finally opened, we all loaded out of the plane like cattle. All the while, I bobbed up and down trying to see how much farther I had to go. Dashing through the airport, I found a help desk that stated it spoke English and asked for a cab or some form of transportation to Volterra.

An older man with gray hair and a pronounced brow came out of a back door, and speaking very fluent English lead me to a car. I climbed in the back as he opened the door for me and told him where I'd like to go.

"What brings you to Volterra?"

"Family."

"Ahh. Well you picked the perfect time to visit. The weather couldn't be better this week. Not a cloud in sight."

"Great."

This really wasn't great; it was the opposite of great. How would I ever find vampires if there was constant sunlight? I'd have to go with my original idea of drawing unwanted attention to their existence and hope that they were of a democratic nature to would hear me out. Crossing my fingers, I hoped for the best and expected the worst.

Slowing the car down, the driver turned and told me that it was just up ahead. Staring down the long road, I prepared my eyes for the site of my death; it was beautiful and terrifying all at the same time. Remembering why I was here, why I was doing this, I took a deep breath and exited the car.

Now was the time to go through with my plan, to make the first step towards my demise. Breathing slowly, I steadied myself, twirling my hair through my hands and pulling nervously on my shirt neck. Walking up to the first person I could, I prepared myself for what I was about to do. Just as they were about to walk away, I opened my mouth.

"Excuse me. Do you know where I can find vampires?"

________________________________________________

A/N

This is my first attempt at FF, so don't burn me at the stake just yet. Thanks to all who have read. Please review, if you feel I deserve it.

Thanks to my Beta and sidekick Lil Miss Whitlock

Lots of love to all my [t20s]

Let's try something new for next time. Maybe a little POV Change?


	3. Chapter 3: Second Glance

December:

_Run, just keep running, do not think--just run_. Over and over, I repeated it in my head, hoping to keep my mind and my future clear from Alice.

_If...that's what you want._ Her words rang out in my mind so clearly. She truly believed that I didn't want her; that I didn't love her. It was so easy for her to believe I never cared for her, that I could just walk away like it was nothing. But she was wrong.

How could she think that? How could she so easily write off what we had? Something in my chest jolted as though my heart was fighting to come back to life just so it could break itself open and spill out all my pain. Shaking my head quickly, I tried to force her from my mind.

Distractions. That was all I needed, all I focused on for the last two months. Pushing myself farther, faster, harder than I ever had before, I did anything and everything I could to keep her and myself away. It was as though I was no longer what I had been before. I was now a ghost, a shell of the shell I had once been.

I knew it was for the best--it was what needed to be done--but that did not make it any easier. Standing across from her in that forest, watching her heart break in her eyes, it was enough to kill me a thousand times over. The way she tried to reach out for me, the pleading in her voice.

_Run, just keep running, it does not matter where, just run_. My instincts were trying to take over me fully and even though I wanted to let them, part of me could not let it happen. That would mean giving up all thought, all memory of her, and it just was not possible. Agony over leaving her was much more bearable, then losing her.

For the last two months I ran, I swam, I kept going; never stopping for more than a few hours, never allowing my mind to give me away, or plan my next step. Alice would never be able to track me, no matter how hard she tried, and that was just what I wanted. The day I left was so hard for them, but I knew I had to do it.

********

"You're leaving?" Alice's eyes hardened as the vision left her mind.

"I have to."

"If you were just going to leave, then why did we move? She was part of my life, too, Edward."

"She should not be part of any of our lives, it is not right. She is human, we are not. Leave her to her own world, its what's best."

"You can say that as many times as you wish and the others will believe you, but I know better. You miss her, you love her, why not be with her?"

"You saw what happened. If I can't even protect her from my own family, how am I to protect her from outside forces? What stops Victoria or Laurent from coming back and finishing what James started?"

"If they do, I'll see it. You know she'll be one of us, I've seen it."

"You have seen a lot of things that never happened."

"That is not true and you know it."

"Enough." Raising my voice, I could feel a small growl escaping my throat and hurried to stifle it.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I just don't want you to leave, and I miss Bella."

"I should not have raised my voice, forgive me, but you have to realize this is for the best. It is my choice, Alice, not yours."

"But--"

"No. The choice is made, now I must go."

"Where will you go?" The concern in her eyes touched me, but I would not let her see.

"Anywhere, everywhere. I have no set plan yet; I just need to clear my head. But please promise me something."

"You know I can't promise you that."

"You have to. No matter what, you cannot look for her future, or mine."

"Edward, I don't choose what I see, you know that."

"But you can choose what you don't see. Please, Alice, for me?"

"For you." Her face fell as I made my way to the door. "I'll miss you."

Acting human was second nature now as I walked at a slow pace from the room. It had been so long since Alice and I had a conversation out loud, it felt almost unnatural. I knew the rest of the house had heard us and would soon come to say their goodbyes. Wanting this to all be over with, I sought each out in order to speed up the task.

Emmett and Rosalie were out in the garage, both wearing sour faces when I entered the door. Neither one said anything, but thought all the same things Alice had. That it made no sense for me to leave, there was no need for it, and uprooting the family had been pointless if I was just going to go off on my own. It didn't matter what they said, they were still my family and still cared deeply. Both begged me to stay but realized that it didn't matter; nothing could keep me here if I wanted to leave.

Jasper was in the living room when I got back inside, trying his best to confuse my feelings and keep me around a little while longer. His face fell slightly when he felt that it wasn't working; my mind was made up and he begrudgingly gave up. Walking up the stairs, I found Esme and Carlisle in his office, both wearing complete opposite expressions.

"Edward, son, please stay." Esme reached out for me, pulling me near her in a tender way.

"I'm sorry, I must go. You understand?"

"Of course I do, but that doesn't mean I won't try to keep you here if I can." Placing her hand softly on my check she left the room, pulling the door silently behind her.

"We have only been gone for two weeks. This will take time." Carlisle sat at his desk, his face stern, emotionless.

"I know, but it would not matter if it was two weeks or two years, I have to get away, clear my head, and sort this all out."

"Take as long as you like. I don't pretend to know what you are going through, none of us can." A small frown broke his face, and I knew he was trying to be strong for Esme and the others.

"Thank you. I will be back sometime."

We both nodded at each other and I fled from the house, never looking back. My legs worked harder than they ever had before, and within moments I was too far away to make out their thoughts. The pain I'd been holding back was let free then, now that they were no longer there to watch my every move. Physical pain mixed together with emotional, stirred up and injected into every inch of my body, ripping me apart from the inside out.

I was on my own now, and I had no idea what to do.

********

Night was falling quickly and I stopped, finding a small field to rest in. My body wasn't tired, far from it, but my mind was exhausted. Keeping my eyes shut, I avoided anything that would give away where I was, though I did not know what continent I was on, let alone what town I was in.

Breathing normally like a human would, I listened to what was around me--the rush of the wind, the rustling of the leaves in the trees, the pads of animal feet pounding on the freshly fallen snow. I suppose it was cold out to humans, their breath could probably be seen in the air; their noses would probably blush pink as the wind stung and bit their exposed skin. But for me, I felt nothing.

As the wind picked up, a smell caught my nose as it blew past me on the breeze; it was sweet, it was fresh, it was pungent--it reminded me of her. It was nowhere near as potent, but something about it held the same air, had the same feeling. In that moment, I made up my mind; I had to see her, had to know that she was well and had moved on. Everything in me was fighting against itself. This was wrong, and I knew it. Leaving her life was for the best, I had to keep myself out of it, but I couldn't.

Jumping to my feet, I ran; I ran faster and harder than I ever had before. I knew Alice would be seeing me within a few moments, and would rush to Forks, hoping to beat me there, meet me, and try to drag me home. Having no idea where I was, I worried she would get there first, but there was nothing I could do. Even if I changed my mind not to go, she would already be well on her way, and I could not let her go see Bella--it would do no good for either of them.

Finally I found a road and followed it to the nearest town. When I made it to the small downtown section, all the shops were closed up for the night, and all the houses were asleep. Following Main Street, I found a building that read Logan-Hocking Public Library and slipped in through one of the back windows. Starting up the old desk top computer at the counter, I found I was almost 2000 miles away, not within running distance.

Getting directions to the closest airstrip, I put everything back as it was, slipped outside and took off to the north. The night air was crisp and clean; the small town slept silently except for a few large trucks racing up and down the road. Minutes later I was in another town, running down another road.

Off in the distance I could see the blinking lights of the airstrip. My legs worked quickly under me, knowing time was of the essence. Even if Alice had seen me, she would still have to find a flight to get on; that could take her hours, and that kind of time I didn't have. Darting up to the first plane I saw, I broke in and started it up. Barreling down the runway, I lifted off into the air, pushing the plane to its maximum speed.

Time was standing still. I was moving as fast as I could but I felt as though I wasn't getting anywhere. The clouds around me turned from white to black to gray; the ground was green, then gone, then blue. My eyes took everything in but saw nothing; my ears were listening, but heard no sound. I was focused.

Over and over, I played scenes in my head--the things I would see when I got there. Maybe she would be gone, out with her friends, maybe she would be sleeping, and maybe Charlie and she would be off doing some father/daughter things. There was no way I could predict what I would see, but I knew whatever it was, I would not like it. But it was my own fault.

Loudly, the old engine of the plane whined as I forced it down towards the ground. Voices screamed at me through the radio, and I quickly shut it off. The second the wheels hit the ground and the plane stopped, I leapt from the seat and rushed towards the woods. Branches brushed into me, snapping off sharply as they hit my solid body. In moments I would be there, at her home, at her window.

The city limit was just in front of me but I did not allow my pace to slow. More than anything, I wanted to be able to savor this, make it last as long as possible, but with Alice surely hot on my trail, there would be no time. All I really needed was one second, just one look, so the last memory I had of her would no longer be a sad one, but one of hope, and of new life, of joy. It would not be easy to know that her life was better without me in it, but I knew it would be.

There was not a single light on in the house nor was there a car in the driveway. Both the cruiser and the truck were gone, and though it seemed odd, I still proceeded up the side of the house and quietly pulled open the window to her room. Everything was just as it had been the last time I was there. Clothes were thrown all over the room, the bed was not made, the curtains were faded and pulled tightly closed.

Her scent was everywhere and it caused a fire to erupt in the back of my throat that I hadn't felt in months. It was so potent, so strong, just as it had been that first day I'd met her, the day that her life almost ended. Walking through the house, I found no one was home; their shoes and keys were gone, sheets of blank paper were strewn all over the kitchen counter, some crumbled up and thrown on the floor.

I would not get my chance to see her, to know that I had made the right choice, to be able to witness her happiness without me in her life, and for that I was a little grateful. It did seem strange that there was no one around at this hour, but remembering my pursuer, I had no time to think on it and instead headed for the ocean.

This is when, if I had a heart, it would break. Tears would stream from my eyes, making it hard to see anything, but that wasn't the case. My vision was clear, allowing me to take in everything, every painful sight. Anguish swelled up in my chest, taking the place of where my heart should be. I wanted to die, I wanted my life as I knew it to be over, if only to save her from myself.

Alice would be able to follow my scent if I stuck to land, even if it were days later, so I made my choice to swim. Just as I hit the beach, I could hear her, she was still miles away from me, not near enough to catch me, but her thoughts still filled my head.

_Edward wait, you must wait. Something is terribly wrong._

I ignored her--I knew she was just trying to trick me; nothing she said would make me turn around and go back, I wasn't ready to be home.

_It's Bella, please. You must come back_.

She must have thought that would trick me, but I would not fall for it. Bella was safe now; nothing could harm her now that I was not in her life. Bella was fine, and I was going to keep going. I pumped my arms, not bothering to come up for air. The water rushed past me, and soon her voice was gone, drowned out by my own thoughts, my own fears.

This would be the last time I ever went back there, the last time I tried to see her. Never again would I touch her, hold her, smell her sweet scent. The fire in the back of my throat had calmed, but I fought to keep it there, holding onto what little bit of her I could. Bella was out there somewhere, happy, living, moving on with her life, just what I needed her to be, and what I never would.

********

A/N

So, how does everyone feel about Edward? Good? Horrible? Eh?

Logan-Hocking Library is a real place, and once I saw a boy fall on his butt outside of it. I used to call that place home, and sometimes I still do.

Once again, thanks to all who read and reviewed, please keep it up.

Thanks to my Beta LMW, who not only reads my horrid first drafts, but lets me come to her house, eat her food and watch Glee.

Much love goes to my [t20s] who are the best family a girl could ask for.

How about another switch for next time? Maybe something a little more…. Sadistic.


	4. Chapter 4: A Taste of Jane

_Vampire. _

My ears perked slightly at the sound of the word. It resonated inside my head and sparked an interest in me that it normally wouldn't. Something about this voice was different--it held an air to it that most didn't. It was almost as though it knew not only that we existed, but also that we were here, and it wasn't scared, but desperate to find us.

"Leave it, Jane." Alec saw the look on my face and knew my intentions even before I did.

"For who? Felix and Demetri are both out taking care of things and won't be back for days. If it's a vampire she wants, it's a vampire she'll get."

He rolled his deep crimson eyes at me before turning his attention back to the book he was reading. As of late, he had been very distant, not enjoying the cat and mouse games we always used to play. Something in him was changing, turning remorseful, in a way, and I far from liked it.

Donning my cloak, I pulled the hood up over my short brown locks, pushing them roughly behind my ears. The determination was present on my face as I ran swiftly towards the voice of the girl. Keeping to the shadows, I found her in a matter of moments; she was unknowingly standing just yards from the source of what she was seeking.

Wandering through the busy streets, she stopped everyone she could, but never seemed to get a helpful response. Her dark brown hair swept around her face as the wind picked up. It was still early morning, and very bright--her warm brown eyes squinted harshly in the sunlight. She made her way farther and farther down a narrow alley as I followed her, staying out of her line of sight.

The look in her eyes was a mixture of defeat, anguish, and something else, maybe longing; I could see moisture starting to fill them. Leaning up against the brick wall, she threw her head back, closed her eyes and sunk down to the ground. The sound escaping her now was one of total and utter defeat. Deep inside me I felt disgust, something I never had before. Without knowing a thing about this girl, I loathed her; hated her more than I'd ever hated anyone.

A smirk formed on my face as I prepared to inflict pain on her. I, of course, knew I should take her back to the elders and let them hand out the verdict; but I was tired of those games and longed to have some form of fun. All I wanted was to break her, to tear her mind into a million pieces until she was begging for death. Then I would give it to her, but slowly, so that her eyes would see nothing but black and she would scream out, fighting, hoping for an end.

Thinking up the worst possible images I could, I checked the alley, glad to see no one was near. Glaring darkly at her, I pushed all the images out of my mind and into hers.

Nothing.

She didn't stir, she didn't even move a muscle. Again I tried, but nothing seemed to happen--she just sat there, against the wall, undisturbed. Fury filled my body, causing the images to take an even harsher turn, borderline sadistic. Pushing harder than ever, I sent them in her direction. This got a reaction, but not the one I'd hoped for. Instead she looked up, meeting my eyes, even though there was no way she could see me in the shadow.

"Is someone there?" Her voice was filled with pain, but it was not my doing. "Please, please." She was whispering now, wetness streaked down her cheek.

Reaching up, she thrust her palm to her forehead, closing her eyes tightly. Biting down hard on her lip, I could see her face tightening up, as though she were concentrating very hard on something. Giving up, she pulled her knees to her chest, dropping her head down.

"If only I could remember their names. How can the Volturi be so hard to find?"

"How do you know that name?" Stepping out of the shadow, I glowered at her. She jumped up quickly, pressing herself flat against the wall. "I asked how you knew the Volturi."

"I, I," Sweat was forming on her brow, but she seemed frozen, unable to reach up and wipe away the droplets that trickled down her face, mixing with her tears. "I know, well, I knew Carlisle Cullen, and he lived with them for a while."

Quickly her eyes darted back and forth from me to the entrance of the alley. Part of me was very confused. She was openly seeking out vampires, yet I could smell her fear, something that shouldn't be present if we were really what she was looking for. Taking a few steps to the side, I blocked her only way back to the main street. Loudly her heart quickened its pace as she took a large gulp of air.

"Well, any friend of Carlisle's will be most welcome in our city."

Running my tongue over my teeth, I felt the fire growing stronger in the back of my throat. Excitement grew in me as I pictured myself ripping her apart, draining every last drop of her sweet blood. Then I hesitated. Her immunity to my power caused a battle to rage in my mind. Why was she not rolling on the floor in pain like all the others? What was it about her that kept me out of her mind? Even though he would never do anything to harm or displace me, Aro would be furious if I killed this human.

"Why don't you come with me--"

"Bella."

"Bella. I'll take you to the Volturi. I'm sure they will be very interested in meeting a friend of dear Carlisle." The name was like acid in my mouth--that weak, disgraceful excuse for a vampire.

She shuffled along behind me, dragging her feet and looking back every so often. My patience was starting to wear thin when we arrived, taking much longer than needed. Gina was at the desk, smiling sickly and greeting us with an unnecessary amount of enthusiasm. Inside my head, the erratic beat of Bella's heart thumped loudly, annoying me to no end. Again I found myself basking in thoughts of her death, disappointed at the realization that they may never come true.

Keeping a safe distance, I lead her down the hall, not sure how much longer I could suppress my irritation or thirst. From the sound of their voices on the other side of the wall, I could tell that Aro and Caius were having an argument again. Satisfaction swept through me as I thought of the possible sentences they would dish out to this insignificant human. Turing to glance at her, she stepped back slightly, fidgeting with the trim of her blue shirt.

"Why so nervous, Bella?" Smirking, I flashed my teeth quickly at her, causing her to recoil even more.

"I'm not nervous," she said, swallowing a large breath of air forcefully.

"Ha. If you say so."

Opening the small wooden door, I stepped to the side to allow her to enter first. As she made her way into the room, the toe of her shoe caught on the floorboard and she almost fell to the ground. I didn't even try to stifle my laughter as her face turned an even darker shade of red while she tried to catch her balance. This of course caught their attention, and Aro and Caius looked over, confused at the sight. Marcus was in his chair, staring straight ahead at the wall, unconcerned with anything that was taking place.

"Jane." Aro's eyes were focused on the girl as he spoke to me. "What is going on here, my dear?"

"This is Bella; she is a friend of Carlisle Cullen."

Walking over to him, I held my hand out for him to take. In a matter of seconds he released it, now fully aware of what transpired in the alley and the real reason the girl was spared. A smile of intrigue formed on his face as he continued to gaze at her. Stepping around behind her, I stood in wait while he made up his mind on how to handle things.

"What does any of that matter?" Caius was at his side in an instant, obviously furious the girl was even here.

"Why, my dear brother, Bella here is a friend of Carlisle, and any friend of his is more than welcome here." Just then he leaned over to whisper in Caius' ear what he had seen in my thoughts.

"Humph. We have one already, what use is another?" Stalking away angrily, he sat down in his seat next to Marcus, who was still staring off at nothing.

"Bella, my dear, please come forward. Let me get a better look at you."

Nervously, she put one foot in front of the other, slowly closing the distance between them. Her eyes seemed frozen, fixed on his chalky white face and deep crimson eyes. Her hands were shoved deeply in the front pockets of her worn-out jeans, and I was sure it was to keep her obvious shaking from being noticed.

"And how, may I ask, is my old friend Carlisle? He is in good health, I hope."

"He," her chest heaved as she tried to get the words out. "He is fine."

"Excellent. I am most happy to hear that. How is it you know him?"

"I, I went to school with his adoptive children."

"Ah, yes. They are a talented bunch indeed. I would very much like to meet them one day, especially Edward."

As he said this, her hand swiftly moved from her pocket to her chest, almost as though it were trying to touch her heart. Aro and I both glanced at each other, puzzled by this movement, and she tried to pass it off as though nothing had happened. The door behind us opened and Chelsea and Renata glided across the room to stand just behind Aro's seat.

"I am assuming you've heard stories about us before?"

"Yes."

"I wonder, then, if you've heard of our gifts?" His eyebrow raised a fraction of an inch in anticipation.

"No."

"Ahh. First, let me apologize for being so rude; we have yet to introduce ourselves. I am Aro, and this is Caius and Marcus." Neither made an effort to move, but Caius increased the sternness of his glare. "And this, of course, is my dear Jane, though you two have already met." He was behind me now, both hands resting on my shoulders. "Oh, and let me not forget Chelsea and Renata, whom are my own personal shadows. Now," clapping his hands together, he resumed his place across from Bella. "Since we are all properly acquainted, where was I? Oh yes, our powers."

In a way, this was the moment I was dreading. If it turned out she was resistant to his powers, he would keep her, change her, and she would become part of our guard. That was my nightmare, my fear. There really was no other way to explain why my power did not work against her, but I had to hope. I had to hold on to the thought that maybe it was just a fluke and soon I'd get my turn with her.

"Come closer; its okay, you are in no danger from me." Aro smiled at her sweetly and I felt sickness fill me up. "Being close with the Cullens, I assume you are aware of Edward's power?"

"Yes." Her voice was so weak, mouse-like, as though she was unable to bear the sound of his name or the thought of speaking about him.

"Mine sadly does not work as well as his. I am only able to hear your thoughts through contact. May I?" Holding out his hand he waited for her to come to him. A few minutes passed, and the look on his face grew more and more curious. "Very interesting. A most wonderful discovery." Stepping back he sat down in his chair, throwing knowing glances at Marcus and Caius. "Am I to guess that Edward's power did not work on you?"

"No, it didn't, he--" Tears slipped down her checks again and she brushed them swiftly away with the back of her hand. "He couldn't hear my thoughts."

"Since I am unable to read your thoughts, I must admit I am slightly baffled as to why you have sought us out. Most who know we are here leave us be, yet you traveled around the world just to be in our company. And to what do we owe the pleasure?"

She was twitching nervously and I had to fight to stay where I was. My throat burned at her very scent, and my desire to end her grew with every move she made. I hoped her reason would be faulty and would cause doubt in Aro where I could see none. As of this moment, her fate was already sealed; she would be one of us, and I would spend the rest of my life trying not to kill her.

"I was hoping--" her brown eyes held something in them, some form of emotion that I couldn't understand. "I want to be changed, and I was hoping you would do it for me."

"But, if you were so close with the Cullens, why not just--"

"I wasn't _that_ close with them. I mean I was, I used to be. But--"

"Ahh. I believe I understand now. Edward, was it?"

"Yes." She shrunk back slightly, as if they were seemed both on the same page. I, on the other hand, was not even on the same chapter.

"Aro, really, I've had enough of this. Destroy the girl and be done with it, I tire of your games." Caius was just in the mood I hoped he would be.

"But Caius, we could make very good use of this one. Don't you see what her potential is?"

"Wait, I don't think you understand." Suddenly she was brave, stepping towards him; I grabbed her arm to keep her in place.

"Oh, but I do. You wish to be changed so that you may be with Edward, is that correct?"

"Yes. But you said--"

"I was merely stating how much better off our world would be with you around."

She bought it, but I knew better. There was a trick to be played here, and I had a feeling I knew what it was. Excusing themselves, they went to council on the subject, though they really didn't need to. Letting go of her arm, I left the room in search of Alec. He, of course, was in the same spot I'd left him, still reading, unaware of what was going on just a few doors down.

"I found her."

"I figured you would."

"Don't you want to know what's going on?"

"I'll know when they tell me."

"Honestly Alec, you're no fun anymore."

"Honestly Jane, I don't care anymore."

Rage pulsed through me and I picked up a stone and threw it at him. Of course, it shattered upon impact and he barely noticed it, but at least I felt a better. Storming from the room, I slammed the door, knocking it off its hinges. When I made it back, they were just getting ready to announce their decision.

"Jane, dear, please come stand by my side." Aro's face was calm, complacent. "Bella, we as a group," Marcus let out a loud sigh, while Caius made a noise comparable to a human cough. "We feel you would be a great asset to our world, and it would be a shame not to change you."

Her face lit up as though she had just received some kind of prize. I swore if she started jumping up and down or hugging us, I wouldn't hold back my ire any longer. Knowing Aro, I was sure there was a catch somewhere, and he would sneak it in, unnoticeably.

"We also feel that because we are taking you into our home, you owe us one small favor."

"A favor?" She asked meekly.

"Yes, it is nothing big of course--we just ask that you stay with us for a short period of time, that way we can better train you to use your gift."

"A short time? How long is that?"

"Not very long at all, my dear." The corners of his mouth turned up, revealing the catch to his agreement.

"Umm." Her eyes wandered from side to side as though she were weighing out all the options in her mind. Finally, she let out a long sigh, dropping her shoulders as if they had just lost a large amount of weight off them. "Deal."

"Wonderful." Rubbing his hands together, his eyes widened in excitement. "Now, Chelsea, you go and prepare a room for Miss Swan. Renata, go and get the changing room set up; and Jane, dear, go and tell the others. We now have a new member in our family!"

*****

A/N

So here was my attempt at the dark and deadly. No worries, next time we will be back with Bella, and there probably won't be a whole lot of POV changes after that. This chapter just needed something different.

As always thanks to all who have read and reviewed, it makes me happy in multiple ways. Please continue to do so, and maybe I'll send you cupcakes, or at least make cupcakes, and eat them in your honor.

Thanks to my Beta, LMW who sits around with me and tweets like crazy.

Of course to my [t20s] and to Luz for finding the Charlie shirt of Epicness.


	5. Chapter 5: Adapting

Rain poured down heavily on the rooftops. Felix, Demetri and I were out wandering the streets, enjoying one of the few cloudy days. Heidi would be back soon with our meal, and though I wanted to be strong, to resist human blood, I just couldn't. There was no one there to help me, to get me through it, so I did what I had to in order to survive, even though I knew it wasn't the only choice.

Whenever I wanted to go anywhere, I had to have at least two chaperons, usually my current two, and someone always seemed to be watching me. I was told it was for my own sake as well as secrecy. The fact was that I was still a newborn, not quite able to control my thirst, at least, according to them, and a possible danger to the town. Deep down, I knew that wasn't true.

The real reason was because they knew I would leave. Aro had tricked me into staying with them, because a short time to a human and to a vampire was two different things; and I had fallen for it, hook, line and very heavy sinker. Now there was nothing I could do. Of course, I was stronger than each individual, but they were always in groups, never allowing me to get the upper hand. It didn't matter if my shield was strong enough to keep Jane and Alec out, people like Demetri and Felix didn't care how my mind worked, they would break me if they had to.

Seeing Heidi cross the square, Demetri nodded at me, letting me know my free time was up and we were to head back. Just as the wind picked up, a smell crossed my nose. It was soft, feminine, and so familiar to me, though I'd never smelled it like that before. Brushing it off, I walked slowly to the entrance, both of them right on my heels.

In the elevator on the way down, Demetri glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and I felt my constant hate for them both flare up. Even though we were always together, I loathed them--Felix a small amount less, but only for his constant attempt at humor. More than anything, I wanted to make Demetri run, to chase him, to hunt him down, and while he was running, I wanted him to cry. I knew it would never happen, but the thought of it always brought a smile to my face.

Heidi was waiting when we stepped off the elevator, dressed in her usual luring outfit--short, and slutty, yet still fully covered. Demetri smiled at her in a way that would have turned my human stomach, as if to say, "Yeah, she's mine, and I fuck her every night." Felix was checking out the crop of humans she had just brought in and when he saw a short brunette, he smiled and let out a small "Dibs."

As always, I followed them into the room, watching the panic cross over each face, but trying not to let it affect me. I couldn't stand to look in their eyes and most times, I fed with my own shut tightly. The sound of their bones breaking, of their cries for help, the way they pleaded for life and then death, was all too much for me to handle. But I feed anyways, because I needed to, because I had to. I hoped it would make me strong enough to over power each and every vampire in the room, but I knew it wouldn't. Just as I felt my teeth tear into the neck of the only unclaimed human, my mind drifted back to that first day, almost two months ago. The day I finally awoke to my new life.

*****

It was all over. I was dead--I had to be. My body had never felt pain like that before; even what happened in May with James was nothing compared to that. It was as though my whole body had been soaking in gasoline my entire life, and suddenly set aflame. _If_ I did somehow really survive that, then I knew I was truly invincible.

Part of me knew that the emotional pain I'd gone through was so much worse, but those memories seemed so foggy, almost dream-like. Keeping my eyes shut tightly, I tried to remember his face: the golden color of his eyes after he hunted, the way his hair was always perfectly disheveled. Every memory I had seemed to be cloaked in a veil, obscuring them in my eyes, making me question if they were real.

A flash flew in front of my vision, reminding me of my past. The meadow. There was no way I could have made that all up--the feel of his cold skin, the rustling of the trees. For a brief second I could see the woods, the sea of flowers, the moment we exchanged hearts, then it was gone. I knew it was real, and I held onto it, knowing it was the only thing that would get me through the days till I saw him.

Something in the back of my throat still burned, a yearning, a hunger of sorts. I knew what it was, and what needed to be done to silence it, but I wouldn't let it consume me. My mind was too focused, too intent on getting out of here and finding him, and I wouldn't allow my thirst to sidetrack me.

"Are you done yet?" Jane's voice echoed off the stone walls, soaking them in a thick coat of disdain.

"Not quite." My voice was full of courage, knowing that her parlor tricks were useless against me.

Lying perfectly still, I let my body get used to the feeling. It was odd not having to breath, or move for that matter, and I knew it was a sensation that would take time to settle into. After a moment, I opened my eyes, unsure what I would see. Everything was clear, crystal clear. The cracks in the brick, the color of the grout, even the smell of the room, a mixture of stone, sand, and earth.

Jumping up quickly, I was behind her in a matter of seconds, squeezing both her arms tightly behind her back. I could feel her tense under me, not moving a muscle. Even though I was stronger than her and immune to her mind games, I wasn't trained to fight, but I had a feeling she wasn't either. Why would she be? She was a trickster, not a soldier.

"Bella's up." A tree of a man was now standing on the other side of the room. He was huge, gigantic, colossus, almost indescribable, and much bigger than even Emmett was, at least, what I could remember of Emmett. "Why don't you let Jane go; she really wouldn't be much fun for you to fight." Winking at me, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, showing the extent of his muscles.

"Honestly Felix, will you just get her off of me?" Jane was so far past annoyed that I could almost feel the malice in her words.

"I can let go perfectly well on my own, thank you." Releasing her arms, I moved swiftly across the room, surprised at how natural it came to me.

"First day up and already feisty." Felix smiled as he motioned for me to follow him. "Aro would like to see you."

In a matter of seconds, we were already at the door to the room I had visited a few days before. Even though I knew I was safe, I could still feel the nerves of having to face them again. Shaking it off, I stood in front of their three chairs, though it was only Aro and Renata waiting inside for me. They both turned to face me with complete opposite looks on their faces.

"Bella, so glad to see you up and well." Instantly he was in front of me, taking my hand. "And to see that your gift has accompanied you." Letting go, he went back to his seat. "So, shall we begin your training?"

"How long will it take? I mean, how soon before I can leave?"

"This I can't be sure. I assure you it will be a short amount of time; Renata is a most wonderful teacher. So, let us begin."

*****

"Bella, my dear." Aro's voice woke me from my daydream suddenly. "Have you finished?"

His long pale fingers gestured to the limp body in my hands. Clamping down again on the man's neck, I sucked the last drops of blood from him before letting go, wiping the back of my hand swiftly across my lips. The look in Aro's eyes sent a silent message to me, and I did what he asked, following him into another room.

Down the hall was a small brass door I'd never been on the other side of. He opened it slowly and I noticed it was just he and I. It would have been all too easy to overpower him and run away before any of the others would even have a chance to realize what happened, but something in his manor intrigued me. What could possibly be so important he would be alone with me, and what lay on the other side of the door?

"Bella!" A small figure ran across the dark room, jumping on me and almost knocking me down.

"Alice? What are you doing here? How did you get here? You came for me?" There were so many more questions I wanted to ask, but I was too shocked to form them.

"Bella, you are being most rude. Won't you introduce me to your friend." Aro stood just inside the door, smiling at the two of us still hugging each other tightly.

"Yes sir. This is Alice Cullen." Hanging my head, I let her go, knowing what would happen now. There was no way I could tell Alice about Aro's gift without him hearing, and soon he would shake her hand and see everything, including what I was sure was a very well thought-out escape plan for me.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Alice. I am Aro, welcome to my home." He reached out for her hand and she placed her own in his, all the while my face fell slightly. His eyebrows rose when she pulled her fingers from his. "So, you have come here to take her home I see."

"Well yes, how did you know?" A quizzical look formed on her face.

"Aro can read minds."

"You mean like--"

"No. He has to touch you, and then he can see every thought, not just the ones currently in your mind."

At that moment, she put her arm around my waist, pulling me closer to her. I knew from the look in her eyes she wanted to talk to me, to apologize for even coming, as her plan hadn't worked out, but I doubted we'd get the chance. Aro studied us as we had a silent conversation with our eyes.

"So, I'm told you have the power of foresight, and now I see this is true."

"Yes, sir." Alice's voice seemed small, just like her.

"What a marvelous gift, very useful I'm sure."

"Not always."

"No?"

"My visions change, they aren't set in stone. And sometimes I see things that I can't change, that I can't stop from happening." Her eyes flashed to me quickly, then back to him.

"Ah yes, I see that." He turned then to walk out the door. "Wouldn't you two be more comfortable in Bella's chamber?"

"Um. Yes. Come on Alice." Grabbing her arm we rushed out the door, down the hall and to the room they had given me for my own personal use.

Once we were inside, she sat down on one of the two red velvet chairs. The room was dark, with no windows and only a handful of candles for light. Scattered all over the room were sheets of paper, most of which were my daily ramblings, thoughts of him, plans for escape--nothing I'd ever really try though. Finding a blank sheet, I scribbled down a note on the paper and shoved it to her.

_Be careful what you say out loud, someone is always listening._

"I missed you." She jumped from the chair and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck again.

"I missed you, too." I was careful not to squeeze too tight as I still didn't know my own strength.

"When I had the vision, I wanted to come, but there was just too much going on, and I knew I'd be too late. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I would have done it even if you had tried to stop me."

"Honestly Bella, _if_ I had tried to stop you, you wouldn't be doing anything right now."

"That is probably true." We both laughed, but it seemed somewhat forced under the current circumstances. "So how is, um, everyone?"

"They're fine. Rose and Emmett are off at college again. Esme is, well, they're all fine."

"Alice." She was keeping something from me, I could tell by the way her eyes fluttered all around the room, never landing on mine. "Esme is what?"

"She is unhappy. Her family is falling apart, and there is nothing she can do about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm here, possibly never coming home, though I did swear to Jasper I'd be back in time for our anniversary next week. And of course," again she paused, and it looked as though she were decided on what to say. "Bella, why did you come here?"

"You know why, Alice."

"Is that really why?"

"Why else would I do it? I don't want to live forever just so I can be alone." Even though it still hurt to think of him, I had to know what life was like after they left. "Where is he?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Anxiety exploded in my chest, and if I were still human, it would have caught my breath.

"Two weeks after we moved, he left, just went off on his own. We didn't hear from him, he threw his phone away, made it so I couldn't use my visions on him. Then a few months ago, the same day I saw you leaving for Italy, I found him. I wasn't expecting to see either of you, but first there was a vision of you on a plane, tapping your foot so nervously. Then there was Edward," she glanced at me from the corer of her eye as she said his name. "He was in a plane too, but flying one, heading back to Forks."

"He was going back? You mean, if I had stayed, he would have come back for me?" Sinking down in the chair, I tried to wrap my mind around what she was saying.

"Not exactly. He was going to see you, yes, but he was just going for closure, he wouldn't have actually let _you_ see him. I think he just wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay and that he was right in his choice. If only he knew."

"If only."

"By the time I got there you were both gone. I tried to get him to come back, but he wouldn't stop long enough to listen. If only I could have made him, found a way to get him to turn around, none of this would have happened. We could have all gone back to how we were."

"Don't you get it? That's why I came here. I can't go back to that, Alice. You don't know what it was like, how hard it was just to get through the day. I may not remember exactly, since those memories aren't very clear, but I can still feel that pain deep inside--it was worse than death."

"I can't believe I let this happen. If only I'd been there just a second sooner."

"No. This is not your fault, it's my mess."

"But how will you, I mean we,"

"Shh." I cut her off knowing that her question would lead to more trouble for us. "We will figure that out later. As glad as I am to see you, I'm sorry for what I've gotten you into."

"Its okay. I can't see how this will turn out yet, but I already knew coming into it that I probably wouldn't be going home."

"Alice!" Her blatant disregard for her own life surprised me. "What about Jasper?"

"Don't worry, Bella--that will all be taken care of in time. Remember, I can see what will happen, so I've got plenty of time to make that last phone call. I just need to remember not to make it too soon, I wouldn't want him to come and try to stop things just for me. I couldn't bear that."

"Let's not discuss _that_ anymore." All her talk bout our demise wasn't helping me any.

"So, what shall we do now?"

"What would you like to do?"

"How about the grand tour?"

"You really are too much, you know that?"

"What? There's no point in being in Italy if you don't do a little sight seeing."

As we left my room Alice linked her arm in mine, almost skipping down the hall. She had too much energy for the task at hand and I wondered how anyone could be so excited to meet their firing squad. Part of me was baffled at her, but another part was intrigued. Maybe in reality, Alice wasn't afraid because there was no reason to be.

And maybe, just maybe, she knew something I didn't.

****

A/N

As always, thanks for reading, and for reviewing. They are like un-birthday gifts.

Much love to my Beta LMW who is leaving me all alone this weekend to go get us some HT Tour Tickets, and trick kids into thinking she is Rob. Also thanks to her for helping me make the most epic Halloween costume ever.

This is the part where I plug my twitter : DaniUberAlles I'm pretty fun, when I'm not sober.

Lastly to my [t20s], all of whom I love and adore, but a special spot in my heart goes to Jess, because, well, she sends me pictures of Charlie Bewley.


	6. Chapter 6: Forced Distractions

"Alice." Her eyes were fixed on a spot in the wall; she was obviously having a vision. "Alice, what did you see?"

"Oh." Glancing from side to side, I knew she was about to lie to me. "Nothing, it was just Jasper. He is making plans to come see me. I should probably call him."

"Ha. Good luck with that. They wouldn't even let me call Charlie and tell him I was okay. I'm sure as we speak the whole town of Forks is plastered with missing posters."

"Well, I've got to try. I'll be right back."

"Why don't you tell me what you really saw?"

Ignoring my question, she rushed across the room; but before she could open the door the handle was turning. As she stepped back her face fell, and I knew that her plans, whatever they were, were ruined. Aro entered the room, a smile spread across his paper thin face, his arms clasped firmly in front of him. Nodding at both of us, we lowered our heads in response and he reached out for Alice.

"And what does that lovely mind of yours hold today, my dear?" His hand was firm as he waited for her embrace.

"Nothing more than yesterday, I'm sure." She was trying so hard not to let him into her mind, and the desire to know what she had seen increased within me.

"Come now, I am sure there is something you wish to share with me."

"In all honesty, there isn't."

"Well, the choice really isn't up to you now, is it?" Forcefully he grabbed her hand and the slight anger that had filled him was gone, replaced by another emotion-- anticipation or longing--it was unclear which. "Most interesting. Bella, my dearest one, I would like you to come with me. Alice, Jane and Alec will be in momentarily to keep you company."

Reluctantly I stood up, crossing the room slowly, hoping that on the way Alice would give me some kind of clue as to what she had seen. When I was directly in front of her she moved away from me, never looking at me. Just as I was out the door, turning to close it, her eyes caught mine. Something in them was pained, filled with more emotion than should have been possible. I still had no idea what she had seen, but whatever it was, she didn't want me to know, and I was sure I wouldn't like it.

Following him down the hall, I wanted to ask where we were going, what we would be doing, but I knew he wouldn't answer. If Alec and Jane were babysitting Alice, it meant I would be going off with Felix and Demetri, and the reasons behind this were never good. Anytime Alice had a vision that foretold the two of us leaving in some way, he made sure to keep us apart long enough to change the outcome of events. In the last week, Alice and I had spent very little time together.

The second day she was here was the worst. She'd had a vision that morning and was in the middle of telling me when Aro came in. Doing her best to avoid him, she darted from the room, only to be met by Jane. Even though I'd been practicing, I still wasn't able to project my shield out farther than a few feet and I wasn't able to save her.

For almost an entire minute she writhed on the floor, yelling, screaming, on the brink of what seemed like a complete breakdown, when finally it stopped. Lying there motionless for a while, I hesitated on going to her, not afraid for myself, but worried Jane would start up again. Alice didn't talk the rest of that day, and it only increased her fear of Jane.

I thought Alice being here would help me, would make things easier, but it hadn't. Even though I had a feeling I would never get out of this place, now it seemed even more impossible. Not to mention she reminded me of him. Even though my heart was no longer beating, it still ached. My chest still felt as though it would cave in any moment, that my body would just give up, and I'd die again, this time, forever.

Part of me thought things would be easier, that being immortal and indestructible would make all the pain go away, but it didn't. If anything, it intensified it. Having more hours of the day to think, to remember, even if the memories weren't so clear, only made going on each day harder. Part of me understood how Marcus could be so indifferent, so impassive. I was sure that in time I would grow to be much like him, bitter and hateful at the world and everyone in it.

"Ah, Felix, Demetri," Aro clapped them both on the back as I dawdled along behind them. "I have a little work for you to do, and I would like you to take Bella along."

They both glared at me, obviously just as tired of our time together as I was. Stepping into the elevator, the doors closed behind us and it suddenly felt cramped, too small to hold us, as well as all of our contempt and malice. In my mind, I imagined music playing--the horrible kind--instrumentals of eighties songs, _Hungry Like the Wolf_ all done on piano. When the doors finally opened, I felt like I could breathe again and we crossed the small space to the exit. It was night, pitch black.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, a small amount of ire leaking through my teeth.

"Mars," Demetri spat back at me, never one to tolerate my questions.

"We've got a little errand to run, just outside the city."

"Outside the city?" My tongue seemed to be caught in my throat.

Was Felix telling the truth? Would I really be stepping outside the walls for the first time in over two months? This should have made me happy, should have excited me, but it couldn't. There was no way I could escape now--Aro knew that--not with Alice left behind. I wouldn't allow myself to imagine the things Alec and Jane would be allowed to do to her if I ran off. Slumping my shoulders down, I followed along behind my guards and ignored the thoughts floating around my mind.

After a few minutes of running, we were in a small villa filled with old white stone houses. Everything was still dark, and the whole town seemed to be slumbering while we crept through it. Felix and I stood outside one of the many houses on the cobblestone street while Demetri went in to do whatever it was we were sent here for. Looking over, I could see Felix eyeing me. The look on his face made me feel as though he were undressing me with his eyes. The corner of his mouth curved up as he winked at me and I turned away quickly, rolling my eyes at him.

Moments later, Demetri was back, lighting a match and setting the house aflame. His eyes were deep crimson, a tell-tale sign he had just quenched his thirst. Racing down the small streets, we made our way further and further from my forced home. The next house we stopped at was much like the first. This time, Felix went inside.

Digging my toe into a small mound of dirt, I tried to block out the muffled screams coming from inside. My face cringed at the thought of it and I hoped I wouldn't be next on the list. Feeding with the others was one thing, but capturing my own food was another. Not to mention that with Alice around, I felt more of a need to abstain from human blood; if not for myself, then for her. I had refused to eat with the others and I could feel myself growing weaker every day. Aro didn't seem to mind, but the others were not as understanding, and Heidi refused to bring in food for us. Of course, this just meant that Alice was allowed to hunt for herself and bring back something for me.

Animal blood was horrible; the taste sat in the back of your throat and coated your mouth. It was like a film, clinging to your teeth and tongue, growing grosser by the minute. After time I was sure I'd get used to the taste, but it was taking everything in me not to revert, to keep from grabbing the very next human I saw and drinking every last ounce of blood from their body.

"Could you please stop making that face." Demetri was almost at his wits end with me.

Reaching over, I tore a branch off the tree I was leaning against and threw it at him, all the while keeping my face scrunched up tightly. Upon impact, there was a loud boom and his whole body tensed, crouching down low. He launched himself at me but I was quick to move out of his way. Before he had a chance to straighten up I was behind him, pulling him down to the ground.

Pushing him down hard, digging my knees into his broad chest, I wrung my hands tightly around this throat, watching the fear take over his features. Everything happened in an instant and just as I was licking my lips at him, I felt hands grip my shoulders and pull me off quickly. My whole body flew across the small street and hit the wall of the house behind me. The sound was earth shattering, and before I could do anything, lights were flicking on all around us.

"Let's go," Felix whispered to us as he quickly set the house on fire. We all took off the way we had come. "You need to be more careful, the both of you."

"The both of us? What, are you siding with _her_ now?" Demetri stopped running; I would have kept going if Felix hadn't grabbed my wrist.

"I'm siding with Aro. You both easily could have woken the whole town. Secrecy is the name of the game, or have you forgotten?" His eyes were blood red, and bored right into me.

"I haven't forgotten anything, but it seems _he_ has."

"Enough." His voice was quite yet strong. "You're acting like such a child, Bella; no wonder Edward left you."

An anger like I had never felt before filled me up, collecting into every inch of my body. My hands were clenched so tightly they could have easily broken themselves. It felt as though smoke were coming out of my ears, but before I could act on anything, it was gone.

In it's place was nothing. There was no pain in my heart, no ache in my chest, because I was dead, numb. I wanted to cry, to drop to the ground in agony over the thought of him, but I couldn't, and somehow that was worse. The empty feeling swelled up inside of me, taking over my body, and it was utterly unbearable.

"We need to get going." Felix's eyes never met mine, but his voice expressed the exact look that would be on his face, disgust.

When we were just outside the gate they stopped, slowing to a human pace. They exchanged a glance and Felix put what looked like a watch back into his pocket. Instead of heading back, we took a small trip around the town, passing by almost every house, going down every road. The sun was starting to rise off in the distance, and soon the town would wake. Though we had our cloaks to shield us, I'd yet to be allowed out in the light.

"Why are you stalling?" My mind was almost made up to leave them and go back alone.

"Aro said not to come back until a certain time." Felix was next to me now, gripping my upper arm tightly.

"Why?" Pulling away, I slipped easily from his grasp, but before I could move, they were both on me.

"Because he has a visitor whom he would like some alone time with. Now, relax," they let go of my arms, and I felt a small tingle of pain where their hands had been. "We can go back now."

They let me lead the way, smirks covering their faces whenever I turned to glance at them. I felt like there was something happening, something I was missing. It was like some huge party was going on, and I wasn't invited. Part of me thought it had something to do with what Alice had seen, but from the look on her face, most of me hoped I was wrong.

The elevator seemed to move at a snails pace, clinking down slowly as I tapped my foot with each passing second. Rushing to my room, I expected to find Alice waiting for me, but she wasn't around. From the air, I could tell she hadn't been there for hours, and I worried what it could mean. Turning around I exited the room, not even sure where to begin looking.

When I glanced down the long hall it looked like a ghost town. Gina wasn't around due to the early hour, and by the sound of it, everyone was in the same room. Pulling open the large wooden door I stepped in, wondering what could be going on. A rush of cool air filtered out around me and then something hit me. My nose took in all the scents of the room, but one stood out. It was strong, earthy--honey, lilac, and sun. My jaw fell open, almost hitting the floor, as everyone seemed to part, leaving an open space between me and what was on the other side of the room.

It was him.

"Edward."

*****

A/N

Sorry the chapter was short, it is kind of a just a transition that needed to happen, but I wanted to leave off at a certain part.

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. They make me as happy as twitpics of Charlie Bewely.

Much much thanks to my beta LMW who will be taking the long drive across the state with me this weekend to go see Bobby Long.

To my [t20s] and mostly to Jackie, who will be taking me along in pickstick form so I can meet Charlie next week, I send a Dan amount of love!


	7. Chapter 7: Sacrificial Lamb

"Edward." The word barely came out of my mouth but the whole room had heard.

"Bella," a sinister smile formed on Aro's face as he crossed the room to take my hand. "You've made it back just in time."

My mind was trying to do several things at once. First, it was trying to take everything in and make sense of it all. Second, it searched the room, looking at each and every face it came to, noting the looks of disdain and annoyance that filled most. But more than anything, it was trying to throw all logic out the window and run to him, to take him and make him mine again.

Scanning his face, I found it was hardly what I remembered. The dark circles under his eyes stood out against his pale skin. His eyes were black as coal, his clothes tattered and torn. There was no joy in his face and no happiness in his features, which held firm, as he stood rigid on the other side of the room.

"Bella," Aro stepped to the side, blocking my view of Edward. Shaking my head, I tried to focus on what he was saying. "Demetri tells me there was a problem during your trip out."

"What?" The words were entering my ears, but I had trouble processing them. "Trouble?"

"Yes. He and Felix both say you started a fight, resulting in a close call with a town full of sleeping humans."

"No, I didn't. I mean, I did, but it wasn't a close call. We made it out before anyone saw us. It wasn't even a big deal."

"It wasn't a big deal." He was glaring at me now, the sides of his mouth creeping up higher every second. "When it comes to our secrecy it is _always_ a big deal, my dear."

"Don't!" Edward yelled, his voice causing my immortal knees to give out slightly.

"Ah, but Edward, she must be taught a lesson." Rubbing his hands together, he nodded at Alice.

In a matter of moments my eyes took in the whole scene. Marcus was in his chair, staring off as usual, while Caius leaned forward in rapt anticipation. Demetri had Alice by the throat as Jane stood in front of her. Felix was just behind Edward, holding his arms from behind, Alec just to the side. Chelsea and Renata were standing in the corner; both of their eyes made them look as though they were concentrating very hard on something.

By the time my mind had processed all this, Alice was on the ground, Jane glaring at her with a look of arrant content on her face. It was obvious Alice was trying so hard to hold in the screams of pain, to keep from being used as a tool against me, but it was no use.

"That is enough of that, Jane. To the next." Aro's head nodded towards Edward.

"Why?" Edward snapped, trying to break free from Felix's grip.

"Because, where you may not care for her any longer, she still cares for you."

Instantly he was on the ground, pained screams escaping through his clenched teeth. I couldn't take it. My whole body throbbed as though Jane's gift was somehow working on me. Aro's remakes about Edward not caring for me didn't deter me and with force, I pushed out my shield.

"No!" Harder and harder I pushed until he stopped moving and I could feel pressure against the edges of my limit.

"Very good, Bella." Smiling and clapping me firmly on the back, Aro signaled to Jane to step back as he walked over to Edward and Alice, helping each one up and dusting them off. "Now that all is settled, on to the main business."

Felix and Demetri shuffled to stand behind me, while Jane and Alec fell in behind Alice and Edward, both of whom looked slightly shaken and drained. Aro took his seat, Renata and Chelsea crossing the room to stand just behind his chair. When I tried to take a small lean forward to look at Edward, Felix caught my arm tightly, pulling me back roughly.

"What is going on here?" I couldn't hold it in any longer, and I knew when Felix tightened his grip that I wasn't supposed to be speaking.

"Isn't it obvious, Bella? Edward came here, upset over, well, why am I telling your story? Would you like to tell it yourself?" Tilting his head to the side, Aro sat steadily in his chair.

"Honestly, I don't even know why I came." Edward's voice held no emotion, no hint of anything but pure honesty.

"Please, just let me explain," but before Alice could finish, she was on the ground again, the product of Jane's quick work.

"Jane, that will do." Turning his attention towards me, Caius spoke directly to me for the first time since I'd arrived the first day. "Bella, Edward was under the impression you had died, some miscommunication from his sister, and he came here to ask us to end his life. When we denied him, telling him you were here, he had a, shall we say, change of heart."

"I don't understand." My eyes focused on the ground, unable to bear looking at anyone.

"It is quite simple, my dear. All he wanted was for you to stay mortal, to avoid danger, and you threw your promises out the window, and with it, any chance to be with him again. He cares no more for you than he does for any other member of this guard. You chose your path knowing it could have turned out this way." The joy Caius was getting from this showed prominently on his thin features.

"No, this isn't right. This can't be right." Struggling against the hands that were binding me was no use but I kept trying. "Aro, please." I was begging, though I didn't know what good it would do.

"Alas my dear, there is nothing I can do. And regrettably, there is something I must attend to. Come Renata." They both got up and floated from the room and my only protection from certain death was gone.

"Wait!" I yelled after them, but it was no use; even though they could hear me, they weren't coming back. Somehow Caius had convinced Aro to allow him to dish out punishment, verdict, and directions.

"That will do. You will speak when spoken to or not at all." Fire seemed to fly from his mouth along with the words.

"But," Before I could finish, his eyes flashed and I was airborne.

My back throbbed slightly as it crashed into the far brick wall. Felix was standing over me, smiling sickly, reaching down to grab me by my cloak and dragging me across the room. From the corner of my eye I saw Edward flinch, as though he were about to run to me, but he stayed in his spot, eyes closed tightly. Alice was still on the floor, curled tightly into a ball, peering up through her arms to look at me.

Just as I started to stand up, I felt a hand close tightly around my throat, lifting and slamming me back to the ground. The floor under me cracked and busted from the force. My body ached but it wouldn't fight back. My mind knew I could take at least two of them out before they got to me, but it wasn't worth it. What was the point?

If I fought back, they would attack Alice again, and from the look on her face, I knew she wouldn't be able to stand another round. Next, they would go for Edward, and that would kill me. It didn't matter that this was all for nothing, that even though I were just like him, he still didn't want me; I couldn't handle watching him in pain. I wanted to die. I wanted them to end my life and let the others go on with theirs, as it was obvious I was the cause of all the problems they were facing.

Quickly I came up with a plan to save them and not myself. Pushing with all my might, I worked on holding Edward and Alice in my shield, pulling it fully off myself. When I felt it hold firmly in place I put my scheme into action, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

Just as Felix bent down again I jumped up, grabbing him firmly by the neck and throwing him down hard to the ground. Demetri ran at me but I was faster, knocking him to the side so he slid straight into the wall. Realizing Jane's eyes were focused on Alice, I could feel her fighting to get through my shield, furrowing her brow when she realized I had blocked her out.

"I love you, Edward, and you, Alice." Jumping in front of them, I felt Jane's visions hit me like a cement wall.

The images that assaulted my mind were devastating, painful, excruciating, torture, wretched, and completely indescribable. Everything I'd felt up until then was miniscule compared to what was coursing through my body. Even the burning fire of the change was child's play, a small ache--one tree, as opposed to the whole forest.

In my mind, I could see Edward, and he didn't want me. Every word he spoke was clear and precise, cut and dry and deadly. Each syllable sliced into me, cutting right to the core. I was sure that if he broke into my chest and ripped my heart out, it wouldn't hurt nearly as much. The look in his eyes was brutal, truthful, and like a dagger to the throat.

_Bella, I don't want you to come with me._ I could no longer feel my body, but I was sure I was on the ground, flopping around like a fish out of water. Vampires had always seemed so strong to me, unbreakable, but I felt the very opposite of that. As though I were suddenly reverting back to my human tendencies due to the anguish.

_ You're not good for me, Bella_. And he was more right than he knew. What I hadn't realized was that I was trying to change myself physically to feel as though I deserved him but I never would. My love for Edward was all that had kept me going, and now that I knew he would never truly love me back there was no point in going on.

My whole self felt as though it had exploded. Organs, if I even still had those, ripped apart, muscle taken right off the bone, bone shattered into a thousand pieces. The cold dead heart that lay in my chest was broken and beaten to a pulp, ready to combust. With those thoughts, I gave in, allowing all the emotions to engulf me in hopes it would end me.

****

When I could finally force my eyes open, they had no problem adjusting to the harsh light. The room was empty, save for a small window where the sunshine was dripping in, coating my face and neck. Sitting up, I brushed the wild strands of hair that had fallen in my eyes and rubbed my upper arms, feeling the ache in them.

My whole body felt sore, tired, beaten. Looking closely at it I saw no bruises, no marks of any kind to say I'd been injured other than the bite scar on my hand and the one Aro had given me at the base of my other wrist. Somehow I wasn't dead, and the hurt that had left my body came flooding back.

"Bella's awake," Demetri's voice called out from the other side of the thick brass door which was slowly creaking open.

"Glad to see you are finally up." Aro's face was firm, holding no sign of any emotion.

"What happened? Where's Alice? Where's …" My voice cut of, as I reverted back to being unable to speak his name.

"Patience, patience. All will be explained in time. Now," crossing the room, he stood with his back to me, glancing out the window. "For your first question, I am afraid I have no answer to that. Jane has used her gift on many vampires and none have had the same reaction as you. Most just wallow in pain, but with you, something different happened. It is almost as though you turned mortal for that point in time, which for them, her gift is deadly. Alas, the workings of each vampire's mind and body are so different, and as my own gift does not work on you, I have no idea why things happened the way they did. We do not sleep, therefore we cannot pass out, but somehow you were in a state of unconsciousness for a few hours. All I can assume is it has something to do with a combination of the way your shield works and the images that you saw."

"Onto your next questions, those I can answer much more fully. Alice is in your room resting; she is very weak and a little worse for wear from Jane's constant attacks I'm afraid. It really is a shame we can't all work these things out, I truly don't wish to hurt any of you."

"Then why?" My voice caught in my throat as the words squeaked out.

"We have laws here; laws that we are in charge of enforcing, and what kind of example do we set if our own guard breaks those laws?"

"But I don't want to be part of your guard. I don't want to stay here with you any longer."

"And what have you to go home to? You cannot be with your father, going on like nothing happened. You will kill him, or someone else; you cannot control your thirst well enough."

"How do you know? I've never been allowed out long enough to try."

"You wanted to be changed for Edward, but now what have you got to go on for? Stay with us, you will be part of our family. You can't honestly expect to make it on your own, and you surely can't go live with the Cullens. He said it himself; he does not want you. So, why not stay with someone that does?"

"I don't care if he doesn't want me, I won't stay here." My fists were clenched as I glared at him, but there was no way I would have the strength to finish him, no matter how weak he looked.

"I feel you still need some time to think all this through. I shall return in a few days, once you've had a chance to get your head on straight."

He left the room in a flash, leaving me alone with all my thoughts and his words. My ears rang with what he said; it was painful, but true. Edward didn't want me. Even though he didn't say it himself, he never denied what Caius had told me. Everything that was in my mind at that moment seemed to be fighting with each other, demanding to be at the front. What should I do? What could I do? Did it even matter anymore?

Just as I tried to calm myself and work on a plan for escaping my new prison, something flew in the window, landing on the floor with a small thud. Dashing to the window, I searched around, but no one was occupying the small alley below. Picking up the small red box, I pushed on one side, realizing slowly what it was. Inside were two matches and a folded up piece of paper. Quickly, I pulled it apart, unsure what would be scribbled on the inside.

_Chelsea_

Alice's handwriting was rushed and sloppy, but that was all she wrote. My mind suddenly clicked, and all the pieces fell into place. Chelsea's gift was the ability to make the close bonds of friendship and loyalty fall apart, disintegrate into thin air. She was the key to all of this.

With that realization, something else popped into my mind. Edward. What if that was the reason for his indifference, the real cause of his detachment to me? The moment when he had faltered, as though he were going to come to my rescue, what if it were due to a moment's break in her concentration? My mind told me not to hold out hope, not to think that way, but my senses and intuition already held it as true.

Seconds later there was a knock on the door. Before I had a chance to answer, it flew open and slowly I crossed the space to peak outside. No one was there--not Felix, not Demetri--just me and the empty hall. Off in the distance I could hear footsteps, their pace slow, drawn out. Their sound grew louder with each step, getting closer and closer until the body they belonged to came around the corner, assaulting my vision.

Chelsea.

As she made her way towards me, I prepared myself for what I would have to do. I knew I'd have to be quick--there was no telling how long I had before someone showed up due to the sounds I was sure she would make. Also, since Alice had seen this, there was even less time, though the idea that her vision obviously showed the completed act gave me hope that I could finish the job.

"What are you doing out here?" Her voice was bitter and sharp.

"Looking for you."

"Me?" A look of confusion formed on her face as she tried to process my smug response.

"Of course. I wanted to ask you some questions about life here, since I'll be staying for awhile."

"Oh. Alright."

She seemed hesitant, but she entered the room non-the less. As soon as the last strands of her mahogany hair passed through the doorway, I closed the door quietly behind her. In seconds I was on her, covering her mouth with my hand to keep her from speaking. She didn't even have time to react, think, or move. Years of working as a pawn had made her rusty, unprepared for the fight at hand.

With all the force I could, I began ripping her apart, piece-by-piece. It was far from quick and easy but it seemed to come almost naturally to me. First the head, then the arms, which popped off like a dolls. The sounds that echoed in my ears with each pull were those of a tree having its limbs ripped off, yet so much worse. Using my mouth, I gnawed at the attachment points of her limbs, trying to figure out what did and didn't work as I went along.

When you become a vampire, there is no _How to kill one of your own 101_, and I was basically crawling around in the dark. The pile of parts was growing larger by the minute, and to be on the safe side, I continued breaking the pieces until they were as small as I could get them. With one swift motion I lit the match, tossed it on the heap, and watched as it quickly engulfed itself in a haze of thick purplish smoke.

Two vampires were coming, the sound of their quick feet racing down the hall towards my room sounded loud in my head. Stepping back towards the open window I crouched down low, ready to spring on them if needed. As the door opened, I gazed through the mess of smoke and caught sight of them. Both of their eyes were on me.

They were deep, dark, and full of lust.

******

A/N

Another chapter down. Thanks to all who have reviewed, and read. You make me as happy as Charlie Bewley biting my PicStick.

My love as always to my Beta/Best LMW. Who giggles loudly at monkeys in make-up with me.

Of course, my [t20s] who help me get through the day. And a Cupcake amount of love to Kait. Our Disney day is fast approaching.

Next Thursday will be hectic. OBVIOUSLY it is New Moon, and I will be in Texas with some of my loves. That means updating will be done that morning. Don't worry. I won't leave you hanging. Or will I?


	8. Chapter 8: Aftermath

My whole body was crouched, ready to spring at any minute. On the other side of the smoke they stood--a male and a short female. Adrenaline, or whatever it was that vampires had, rushed through my body as I leapt through the thick black mass at them. Just as I landed in front of her I shot out my arms, grabbing her securely by the neck.

"Alice." All but screaming, I held her tightly.

"Easy, Bella, you're still a lot stronger than me." She hugged me tightly and I felt her holding on as though she didn't want to let go.

"How did you do it?" My voice called out, breaking slightly from my excitement.

"It was a lot easier with Edward around to warn me when they would be coming to read my thoughts. It gave me plenty of time to act and keep them from even knowing what was going on." She laughed slightly and I couldn't help but smile at the sound of it.

Edward. He was standing just to the side of us, his eyes filled with confusion, but focused only on me. This was the moment, the test, the decide all. Now that Chelsea was gone I would be able to know for sure how he felt. Even though the idea had me anxious, I still wasn't sure I could handle it if things didn't change. Before I could even image how it would feel for him to leave me again, he was on me.

"Bella," he gasped softly into my hair, pulling me in as tightly as possible.

"Edward." I wanted to cry from joy, to sing, to shout. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I inhaled his sweet scent, basking in the memories it brought back.

Everything in that moment was rushed. There was no time for anything, as we all knew we would soon be found; but the thought of being found made it even more crucial to express everything. There was no way a quick kiss would suffice, but there was no time for anything more. Gazing into his eyes, he brushed his fingers lightly over my lips. We wouldn't get our chance, our alone time.

"I love you." Putting his forehead against mine, he put so much into the words.

"And I love you."

"They're coming," Alice's voice cut through our bliss like a knife, shocking us back to reality.

"How many are left?" Edward still held me tightly to his chest as he spoke to Alice.

"Not many. All the lower level guard members fled, as well as Alec, Renata, and Marcus."

"Why?" I didn't understand what would cause such a large number of them to leave. Surely Chelsea wasn't that powerful.

"Some left because they no longer felt the urge to stay, but most were scared." A smile formed proudly on her face.

"Scared?"

"Of you Bella."

"Me?" The idea was laughable, yet I had just killed one of their own.

"Honestly, do you think the guard looses members everyday? One hasn't been killed in forty years, and that was Aro's doing." The idea that someone from the outside could come in and so easily finish them all off, even with all the gifts that the guard posses, well, it frightens them to death."

"Jane, Aro, Demetri and Felix will be here in a few seconds. Bella, dearest, can you keep all three of us in your shield?"

"I think so." Just as I let go of Edward I pushed out, felling them fall into my bubble of sorts.

When the door started to open, the feeling in the room went from excitement and happiness to tension and anticipation. We all stood straight, but ready to crouch should the events call for it. More than anything we wanted to avoid a fight, not exactly sure what we would be up against, but we knew we'd have the upper hand. We could make it out of here fighting, but at what cost? Right now we would be somewhat even matched, but there would be others waiting in the wings once we made it closer to escape. How many would we have to fight or kill? And what if we lost something on the way?"

"Alice?"

"Yes Bella?" Her eyes were fixed on the door, never looking at me.

"How's this one going to end?"

"I haven't seen that yet." With the words, her tone fell slightly, making me wonder if she had seen and didn't want to tell me or if she was just as worried as I was.

The look on their faces was that of pure and utter malice mixed in with a side of shock. Never did any of them think that someone would be able to break apart their group, kill one of their own. Since they had reigned they were invincible, unbreakable. Nothing and no one ever stood up to them or got in their way and now this small newborn vampire had brought their walls crumbling down.

Aro alone held a normal gaze. There was no fear or panic present on his thin face, just a calm, serene look like he always held. His fists were not clenched to his sides but held firmly behind his back. Nothing in his look or manner suggested that anything out of the ordinary had happened, and by the way the other three glared at him, it was obvious they were less than happy with his mood.

"So, Bella dearest, you have made very quick work of poor Chelsea. I was very wrong in my judging of you; you are much more fitted to be a rook than a pawn."

"It's a little late for that. We'll be leaving now," Edward spat, still crouched low while holding my hand tightly.

"Ah, but we have so much to discus. I'm very curious how this all came about."

"We'll be sure to send you a letter describing it in detail." A small growl escaped from deep in his chest as his eyes locked on Felix.

I knew what was coming. Even though we were outnumbered, we would win. Aro and Jane were weak, unable to last long in a real fight. I'd have no problem taking them both out before Demetri even had a chance to touch Alice. But what if more came? How long could we go on? How many more of them could we kill? What happened when the fight left our favor and went into theirs? The hole that had been in my chest after Edward left flared, burning and stinging at the edges. There would be no way I could go through loosing him again, and I wouldn't be able to handle watching it happen.

Edward's death, Alice's destruction--those were things I could never bear witness to. Those were the things that would instantly kill me if I were human and would haunt me in my current life. There were very few options left. In my mind, I knew what had to be done, and I was content in my decision because it was the one that allowed me to keep everything I couldn't live without. It allowed me Edward.

"Wait!" I screamed even though there was no need. Everyone was crouched down low, and my voice caused them all to straighten, to stand with eyes on me, puzzled. "Just wait."

"Bella, what are you--" Alice started, but I cut her off.

"I can't see what is going to happen, but I can guess, and I won't let it come to that." My eyes were pleading as I tried to beg her to go along with me. "We won't fight you."

"What?" Edward gasped as he turned to me, cupping my face in his hands. "Bella, we have to get out of here."

"I know, but we have to stay together. I won't risk yours or Alice's life like this. All this will be for nothing if something happens to one of us."

"Nothing is going to happen to you, I won't allow it."

"And what if something happens to you? Do you honestly think I can live through that?"

"It won't."

"You can't see the future, remember?"

"Bella, please." His tone was soft but held a layer of urgency to it.

"No. We won't fight."

He held his hands there, gazing into my eyes. Alice cleared her throat and when we both turned to look at her, she was smiling. Most of the other faces in the room seemed content, as though we had just thrown a cheeseburger down in front of a starving person. Aro stepped forward, signaling to Demetri to leave.

"You will stay then?"

"Yes," I sighed, and immediately I regretted it.

"Well in that case, there will be rules laid down. This cannot go unpunished." Jane stepped forward, eyes fixed on Edward. "No, my dear, I'm afraid that won't do."

"Why?" Her voice was sharp, and held an air of offense to it.

"Because Bella's shield will not allow you to them. Also, I'm afraid that kind of punishment won't be enough." The smirk he'd worn a few days before returned and it instantly made me shy away. "So, what shall we do with you?"

"NO!" Edward cried, once again crouched, and I held his arms tightly, not allowing him to go through with his attack plan.

"Ah, but my dear boy, something must be done to punish these deeds."

"Not that." His voice was firm, fiery, and caused me to think endlessly about what he could hear in Aro's mind.

"Please!" Alice was begging, almost on her knees.

"Enough." Aro seemed to tire of their pleas, and held his hand out, directing us out the door. "Let us all go somewhere more comfortable to discuss this."

"What's going on?" My mind raced, tired of being left in the dark. "Alice, what did you see?"

"I saw--"

"Ah, ah, ah! In due time my dear, in due time." Cutting Alice off, Aro walked slowly behind us, calling out for the others to meet us in the main chamber.

When we finally made our way inside, Edward pulled me tightly to him, causing me to become even more nervous. His face was blank, flat, his eyes cold and distant, just as they had been when he arrived. Now was not the time for questions and answers, not with a room that was slowly filling up with enemy vampires, but I had to know.

Squeezing his hand tightly I turned to face him. "Edward--"

"Shh," He pressed one hand firmly against the small of my back, pulling me closer to him. The other, which had held mine, traced the line of my jaw from one ear to the other. "I can't explain now, I'm sorry."

"Please." Gazing in his eyes, we were alone. The room was filled to the brim now with people but it didn't matter. In my mind it was just he and I, and the thoughts of what I wanted to do flashed in my vision. Placing my hands roughly behind his neck, I pressed my lips to his.

Our first kiss. Not in the real sense, but our first kiss since my change, our first kiss that was allowed to really be a kiss. One where we could loose ourselves, could follow our instincts and not have to worry about boundary lines and the dangers that lurked behind them. The fire that burned in our throats turned to fire in our lips, causing sparks to fly between us. Harder and harder we pressed into each other, trying to mold our lips and bodies together.

The moment was short, no more than a few seconds, but it held months' worth of passion. His hands, now both on my back, searched fervently until they found the hem of my shirt, passing under it, caressing my bare skin. Mine combed through his hair, grabbing and pulling, working to tangle up and never let go. When our mouths finally separated our breath matched, heavy and harsh, even though there was no need for it.

At that moment, I realized Edward and Alice were still encompassed in my shield. Thinking back to before, it clicked in my thought that if I could push my shield off myself as I had before, Edward would be able to hear my thoughts. We couldn't carry on a conversation, but if I could come up with the right yes and no questions, I could try to figure out just what was going on.

Taking a deep breath I focused on the task at hand, slowly pulling myself free of my protection, but not taking it off the others. _Edward._ My mind called out, and the sound of it startled him, causing him to jump slightly. Turning to face me, his mouth hung open, shock filling his deep black eyes.

"Bella?" He whispered, but the others heard him, some turning to look at us.

_Shh. We can't let them know. I have to know what is going on. _He shook his head. _Please. You have to tell me._ Again his head moved quickly and firmly from side to side. _Edward._ I let my eyes do the pleading, and it seemed to work. His jaw loosened as he clutched my hands tightly in his. _Okay. They have already decided what to do, haven't they? _His head confirmed by moving up and down. _Are they going to harm you? Harm Alice? _No was the answer to both. _Me?_ Instantly he tensed, obviously thinking about what I had just said, but still I was wrong. What could they be doing? What would cause Alice and Edward to be so worried. Then it hit me. _Demetri left. He went to get someone, didn't he? _Dropping his eyes to the floor, I knew I was right. Who would it be? _Jasper? Carlisle? Esme?_ My chest ached as I thought of it, but it seemed I still hadn't guessed right. Who was left? Who could they possibly be after? _Charlie_. It wasn't a question, it was an answer.

This was the master plan, and we all knew it would work. There was no way I would risk Charlie's life or even try to leave with him here. Demetri hadn't left very long ago, but I was sure he'd be back soon, and then what would they do? My throat burned with rage, but I worked to keep myself calm, knowing anything else I did would just be fuel to the fire. Putting one toe out of line would be Charlie's end, that is _if_ they hadn't already decided to end his life for my killing Chelsea.

Edward squeezed my hand, bringing me back to the present. Shaking his head, I realized he was answering my questions. _So they plan to bring him here and use him as blackmail to keep us around? They aren't just going to kill him right off, are they? What if I kill him? What if they are right and I can't handle being around humans and I take his life? What will I do then?_ Reaching up, he brushed my hair behind my ears, kissing me softly on the forehead. There was no way for us to have a conversation, for him to give me reassurance or the facts that I so desperately needed.

I hadn't realized Aro was talking, addressing us and the others in the room. What he was saying didn't matter to me. All I could think about was what I had caused, how I would be the reason Charlie died, one way or another. Trying to comfort me, Edward rubbed my back and I instantly pulled my shield back over myself, wishing to be alone in my thoughts. His brow creased slightly when he realized what I had done but I couldn't think on it.

"Bella," Aro's voice rang loudly in my ears. "You may take Alice and Edward back to your room now. But I must advise you not to stray or think of leaving. It will only hurt you in the end."

Doing as he said, I ran from the room, knowing just how right he was. In a matter of hours I had gotten Edward back, but at what cost? It seemed I was destined to lose someone that I couldn't have everything. If we tried to leave, Charlie would die. If we fought, Edward or Alice may die. Staying wasn't an option--we'd never survive here without the Cullens, without the chance at a real life. We'd have to come up with a plan that would allow all of us what we wanted, but I wasn't even sure if that was possible.

Maybe in the end I'd have to make the greatest sacrifice of all. Maybe I wasn't meant to have everything, maybe I was meant to have nothing.

And maybe in the end, I'd have to give my life to save the ones I loved.

*****

A/N

Happy Thanksgiving all! I'm very thankful for many things, and many people, and I won't list them all, though I'd like to.

Hope everyone has had a chance to see New Moon, multiple times. I know I have.

As always thank you for reading, and leaving those reviews that I adore so much.

Thanks to LMW who lets me come over and eat turkey, and only makes me dry the dishes.

Lots of thanks to my [t20s] who I adore loads! And of course to Ang, who tags me as Charlie Bewley's face in pictures.

Sorry this update is a week late, but life has caught up. No worries, Chapter 9 will be right on time.


	9. Chapter 9: Lust

Damn it. It was all I could think. There was no way I could come up with anything that would save us, Edward, Alice, and Charlie. My mind could only focus on how my world was quickly falling apart, ripping itself from the seams. Both Edward and Alice looked calm but I was the opposite. Pacing the room, I couldn't sit still. The pressure behind my eyes bulged like it does before you cry, but I couldn't find the tears. Damn vampires for being unable to produce tears.

"Bella, please sit down, you're giving me a headache," Alice's voice was calm yet it held an edge to it.

"I'm giving you a headache? Well, I'm oh so sorry to trouble you. How rude of me to be so inconsiderate of you when my father is about to die!" Sarcasm dripped from my mouth and caused a sneer to form on her small features.

"Look Bella, you don't have to get an attitude with me. Honestly, the situation is not that bad."

"Not that bad? Not that bad?!" Reaching up I wrung my fingers into my hair, pulling on it forcefully. "Are you serious? Do you not know what is about to happen?" I stopped. What was I asking? Of course she knew what was about to happen. "Alice, you've seen it? Tell me, tell me everything." I became frantic, kneeling down in front of the chair she was sitting in, almost begging.

She reached over for a piece of paper and scribbled something down on it. Seconds later she handed it to me and I saw that it was full of tiny black scratches. In that short amount of time she had filled the entire page with her delicate script and my eyes rushed over each word.

_Charlie is going to be fine. You need to focus on staying calm and relaxing. Every time you start to get angry and think up ways of leaving or attacking the Volturi you change my visions. Now, first off, you are NOT going to sacrifice yourself for me or anyone else. It isn't necessary and you aren't some kind of scapegoat for the rest of us. Their plan is to keep Charlie alive and use him to keep you here, allowing them the upper hand. They know that they are losing followers by the minute and soon their numbers may fall into single digits._

_ Now here is the plan, and so help me, you will stick to it. Remain calm. No matter what anyone says or does, don't do anything that will hurt them, and in turn our chance at getting out of here. Charlie won't be here until tomorrow so we've got time to figure out all the details, but as of now it seems we will be having a few other visitors as well._

My eyes flashed up to meet Alice's, which were black with thirst, but hopeful. Other visitors? As intrigued as I was to keep reading, I couldn't figure out whom she meant. Were they good? Were they bad? From the look in her eye I knew this was what she had seen before, what had her smiling in the main chamber, what kept her calm as I lost my mind, what held her here now.

_When I left to come here I told Jasper not to worry. I asked him to give me a certain amount of time, and if he didn't hear from me, then to move on. Of course that didn't happen. Yesterday was the end of the time and he has convinced the others to come here and find me. I should be mad; if anything happens to him I'll never forgive myself, but at this point, they are our only way out._

_ Aro respects Carlisle, so much that he would never fight against him or allow harm to come to him. Right now that is the only reason we make it out of here alive. But if a fight should come- I won't know until Aro decides how to react to all of this- then we should be able to win. There may only be eight of us, but with most of the guard gone, they will be unprepared._

_ So please stop worrying. Like I keep telling you, everything is going to be fine. Now, relax and sit down. For goodness sake, you run off to become a vampire to spend the rest of your life with Edward and here you are wasting your time ignoring the poor boy. If I have to watch him sulk any longer I'm going to kill him myself._

The Cullens. They were coming; they were going to save us one way or another. I didn't want to allow myself to hope but I did. The thought of getting out of here, of being free, made my body feel alive. Getting up off the floor, I crossed the small space to where Edward was sitting, gazing off at nothing.

"Edward." The word barely escaped through my lips, but it rang loudly in my ears and instantly the fire behind his eyes lit back up. "I," I started but couldn't finish. Something caught in my throat, keeping me from saying what I wanted, asking what I needed.

"Let me explain," he started as we heard Alice slip from the room. "You have to know that I love you, I've always loved you."

"Then how? I mean, when you got here, it was as though you didn't even remember me. I'd always heard Chelsea's power wasn't strong enough to alter _those_ kinds of feelings. I mean, it didn't alter mine."

"Chelsea's gift, like the others, does not work on you. But you are right; her gift is not strong enough to break _those_ kinds of bonds."

"Oh." The words shocked me to the core. Everything he was saying contradicted itself and caused my head to spin.

"Bella, the only reason her gift worked on me was because I doubted you."

"You doubted me?" We were now both standing, my arms tucked tightly across my chest out of habit.

"Can you ever forgive me? All of this is, of course, my fault. If only I had never left."

"Don't. Please." Reaching up, I softly placed my hand on his cheek. "You can't blame yourself for all this. It hurts me too much to let you."

"You have to see that it is all my fault."

"No. I don't." I was starting to get angry; all my emotions seemed to be heightened since Jane's attack. "This is my fault. You left, and any normal person would have moved on. Anything that happened after that was all me, all my own decision." My hands were at my side, balled into fists. I could feel the tremors rocking my body softly. "You will _not_ blame yourself for this."

In an instant he was on me. Hands once again on the skin of my back, lips pressed hard into mine. We were alone, almost truly alone. It didn't matter that the others could hear everything we did or said--nothing mattered but us. His body almost molded to mine as I ripped the white shirt off his chest. Firmly, I grabbed his back, squeezing the skin tightly between my fingers. He let out a small yelp and I loosened my grip, but only a small amount.

Much too soon he stopped. His body tensed against mine, causing panic to flood through me again. In my mind I wondered if we'd ever make it farther than this, if we'd ever truly be alone. I could feel his chest shake as a growl escaped it; his eyes were hard as stone again.

"What's wrong?"

"We have a few guests coming." At his words, my excitement rose. Could they already be here? "Not _those_ guests," he added as he noticed the glow in my features.

"God, can we ever just get a few minutes alone." Reaching up I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated to no end.

"They won't stay long, and then we'll have time to talk." His face fell and I knew he was dreading it.

There was a faint knock on the door before it flew open. Felix stood in the doorway, several others behind him, none I recognized. It seemed as though being around us made him slightly nervous, even with a gang on his side.

"Aro wants you in the main chamber tomorrow morning, promptly at seven." His eyes darted between the two of us before he closed the door quickly.

"You already knew that, didn't you?"

"What good is having a sister who sees the future and being able to read minds if you don't use it?"

"Then why the show? Why would he send Felix here to tell us?"

"To check up on us, obviously; to make sure we aren't doing anything inappropriate." If they could have, my cheeks would have blushed in that instant.

"Look, if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to."

Walking over to him, he sat on the chair, pulling me onto his lap. "I want to tell you everything, I really do, it's just that-"

"That you're afraid of hurting me?"

"That is what I'm always afraid of."

"Are you going to leave me again?"

"Never." His eyes looked shocked at my question.

"Then you could never hurt me."

"Okay. Where do I start?" He was really asking himself, but I felt the need to answer.

"Start after you left me." I felt the sting in my chest, but with him next to me, the wound stayed closed.

He recounted every detail, describing everything so vividly that I felt as though I was there. After he left, his life seemed to mirror mine: sleepless nights, horrible visions, living in a world where nothing mattered, and everything seemed unimportant. Day and night were spent worrying that none of it was real, that the memories were just daydreams, desires that never even existed. When he got to the part where he went to my house, I realized how close we had been.

"I'm not sure what I would have done if I had seen you. I told myself I'd leave, move on, but in reality I'm not sure I would have been strong enough."

"And what if you'd seen me happy?"

"Then I would have come to the Volturi much sooner. I could die, or whatever it is we do, happy, knowing you had moved on."

"But I didn't. I couldn't." The words ghosted out of me, leaving me entranced in the memories of my pain. "If you had seen me, you would have known that. But I'm glad you didn't. I can't image how I would go on, knowing the pain it would have caused you."

"I probably deserved it. It would have served me right to see what I had done."

"Please. You've got to stop that. It kills me." Instantly his hands were on my cheeks, caressing them softly with the tips of his fingers.

"I'll try, but you don't know the guilt that I live with. Knowing that this," he gestured to me, "is all my doing."

"Damn it! Enough!" Jumping up, I felt the growl escape from my throat and my body tensed. "Stop. That. Now."

He was on me again, this time embracing me. Running his fingers through my hair, I felt his lips on the top of my head. "Is this normal? Why can't I control my emotions?" Burying my head in his shoulder I inhaled him, working to relax myself.

"It is all part of being a newborn. Emotions run high and it is something you'll have to work at. Though I'm sure my antagonizing you isn't helping."

"No, it isn't." We both laughed and I felt back to normal. "Now, finish your story. Where did you go then? What did you do before you finally came here? I mean, what finally sent you here?"

"Charlie."

"Charlie?"

"I swam for a long time, continuing on as I had before, running for days on end, never stopping, always trying to stay one step ahead of Alice. After another two months, I gave up and went home. Carlisle and Esme were thrilled, Jasper had gone away with Emmett and Rosalie, and Alice was with Tanya in Denali. A few days later, we got a call from Rose saying Jasper can't find Alice and Tanya had said she left a week ago. Of course now I know she was on her way here, but at the time we had no idea. That's when Rose told me about Alice's vision from the night you left, the one where you went off to kill yourself."

"I never went off to kill myself!"

"Well, in a way you kind of did, and Rose isn't one to relay details about matters that don't interest her."

"So how exactly does Charlie fit in all this?"

"That night I went to Forks, sure I'd find you there safe and sound. Of course once again, I climbed into an empty room, this time it is cold, dust covering the table and floor. All around town there were missing posters with your face plastered on them. I caught a glimpse of Charlie and knew Alice was right and you were gone. So that is when I decided to come here. Deep down I was sure it was a long shot, but it was my only option. As I told you before," his hands were on me now, bringing me closer to him as his forehead met mine. "I can't live in a world where you don't exist."

We sat there for hours, just staring into each other's eyes. There was so much more we needed to talk about, needed to say. I needed to know how he could ever doubt me; how he could so easily believe that I didn't want to be with him. He had always said that when it came to our love, he cared more for me. When I told him he couldn't possibly feel the same as I did, he said I was comparing one tree to the whole forest. But sitting here in his arms, I needed him to know, needed to find a way to tell him that he was comparing one forest to the whole world.

Instead of telling him, knowing that words could mean so little, I tried to show him. Again I forced my shield off myself, allowing him to hear exactly what I thought, what I felt. Thinking back of the last few months, I played the days over in my head, letting him see just every detail that I could fit into my mind.

"You have to know it was all for you. You're the only thing that got me through the days, the only thing I saw at night. Everything was for you."

"This isn't the life I wanted for you."

"But it is the life I wanted for us. Maybe not this life right now, but what we will have."

"I never should have doubted you. You were always much stronger than I gave you credit for."  
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Quickly I pulled my shield back as I felt my mind bringing up the blurred yet painful memories of the months after he left.

"No," his hand was on my cheek now, pulling it back towards him as I tried to look away. "Let me know, please."

"You know the memories won't be clear."

"Regardless, I deserve to know."

"I can't."

"Bella," his breath tickled my skin, causing sensations to flow through me.

Again I let him in, showing him all the things I could remember from when he left me. Some of it was cloudy, but all of it was painful. Even just thinking back on it caused the edges of the wound in my chest to fester. His arms wrapped tighter around me as the images played on in my mind. I couldn't look at him, couldn't bear to see the pain I knew would be present on his perfect features.

"I was a fool to think it could be as though I never existed."

"You weren't. Sometimes I doubted it; I swore I'd made you up. There was nothing left to hold you to me, to let me know what was reality and what was fantasy."

When my eyes finally met his, they were warm, filled with fire and passion. His lips crushed into mine, almost causing me to lose balance and fall from his lap. Wrapping around me, he forced his body tighter and tighter to mine. Roughly he slid is tongue over my lips. Both his hands flew up my shirt, passing under my bra. They worked in unison, kneading and massaging my breasts. My head flew back in response to the pleasure and that's when it hit me.

Blood. My nostrils flared at the smell of a human, my throat burned with another kind of desire. I wasn't sure how long it had been since I'd quenched my thirst, but it felt as though I'd never drank before. Instantly his arms were on me, holding me back as I tried to escape the room.

"No!" he yelled as I tried to break loose from his grasp. "Don't!"

A low growl was all I could respond with. Pushing him away, I turned for the door, but just before I opened, it he yelled out again.

"It's Charlie!"

*****

A/N

Thank goodness Alice is around to talk some sense into Bella, right? And of course thanks to SM for some great lines, that I just had to use because well, they were so perfectly written.

Of course I must thank my Beta LMW who let's me know when I'm yelling so loudly about Charlie pictures that the whole town can hear.

As always my [t20s] who are the best girls in the world. Being a beta is fun, so much thanks to Joy for letting me do it!

This update is happening a day early because tomorrow I have a Jess/Bella date of going to see New Moon and McDonalds with one of my favorite Ladies.

To those who have reviewed: thanks a million times over. For those who haven't: what are you waiting for? Snide comments are always appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10: The Last Straw

"Charlie?" The word scratched up my throat, forcing its way through the burning sensation.

My mind raced, trying to focus on control, all the while wanting to give in. I could feel Edward's hands on me, holding me back. It would have been so easy to slip through his grasp, to break free. I was weak, but he was weaker. Fighting as hard as I could I worked on resisting, picturing Charlie's face in my head, thinking back on the things I'd put him through, the things he'd done for me.

"I can't." Dropping my head in shame, I realized I wasn't strong enough. With one final pull I broke free from Edward and took off down the hall.

"Bella, don't!" He had caught up with me, being much faster than I was, but he couldn't stop me. "Bella, please." He was begging now, but he was too late.

Each step I took brought me closer and closer to the smell and caused my throat to burn even more fiercely. My mind knew this was wrong, this was Charlie for God's sake, but it didn't keep me from opening the door to the main chamber and bursting inside.

"Bella?" Charlie's voice was hoarse, low, and flooded with a mixture of concern and relief. "Baby, where have you been? What happened to you? How did you get here?" His eyes searched me, noticing the difference in my appearance, landing and holding onto my eyes, now black with thirst. With all his strength he tried to break free of Demetri's grasp but it was no use.

"My dear Bella, you are early. I requested your presence at seven sharp, it is barely six." Quickly he licked his lips, and his gaze turned from me to my father.

"No!" My body was tensed to spring--not in hunger, but in defense. Aro's eyes spoke volumes, telling of his longing to drain my father's blood, and in turn bring about his own death by my hands.

Edward was next to me, pulling me back, begging with his eyes. Remembering what Alice had said, I forced myself to stand, knowing that any small act could seal my fate of staying here forever. Every pair of eyes in the room was on me and I started shifting my weight anxiously from one foot to the other, working at fighting every urge that threatened to overpower me.

"Bells, please, you gotta tell me what's going on." Charlie's face was ashen, sickly, and I could see the drops of sweat forming on his brow.

"Ah, but if she tells you," Aro crossed the room slowly, positioning himself right in front of me, "then she would have to kill you."

"I don't understand." He was in officer mode now, his voice stern and demanding.

"Dad, please." I was trying so hard not to breathe, not to move, to think, to do anything that would cause me to kill; kill Charlie or one of them.

"Damn it, Bella, someone just tell me why we are here, and what the hell happened to you."

"We are the ones who ask the questions around here," Jane stepped forward, eyes intent on my father.

"Don't even think about it," I spat low through my teeth. She would hear me, Charlie wouldn't. He was on the other side of the room but I could feel him pulse under my shield, stretching it to its very limits to encompass all three of us.

"Jane, my sweet, why don't you go find Alice. I'm sure wherever she is, it is far enough out of Bella's reach."

"No!" I started to move forward, but Edward stopped me, pulling me back.

"Bella, remember what Alice said," his voice was low, but I worried the others would still be able to hear.

I hoped Alice would see Jane coming and be able to avoid her for however long it took the others to arrive. For the first time, I looked around the room. Their numbers were so low that I felt a surge of optimism. Aro and Caius remained, along with their wives, Demetri, Felix, Jane, and three others I didn't know. They had ten while we had eight, and though it seemed as if we would be outnumbered, we would win. Maybe the other three could fight--they were all male and large, but not nearly the size of Demetri; he was closer to Edward's size. Even if that was the case, they had five fighters, and though I couldn't bear to think of Alice or Esme fighting, I knew they would. Whatever it took to defend their family, save one of theirs, they would do, and they would do it whole-heartedly.

In that moment my mind was full of thoughts and clear all at the same time. I was fighting back the burning desire to attack Charlie, preparing myself for the fighting, figuring out ways to get Charlie out safely and make sure no one else got hurt, but mostly I was imagining what life would be like once we were gone. Images of Edward and I together flashed through my vision, his arms around me, his lips on mine, his body pressing firmly into me. A tingle passed up my legs, causing me to falter slightly.

"Something on your mind, my dear?" Aro's red eyes glared at me, searching desperately for something on my face that would give me away.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Tsk, tsk. You are still a guest here, and if I remember correctly, due for punishment. After all, I feel there is still a lesson to be taught."

"Well I don't see that happening as my shield is in place and not going anywhere."

"We have other, methods, here besides Jane. You of all people should know that, my dear."

"Fine. Come on Felix, Demetri, I'll take you both on." Crouching low I let a smile slip across my face.

"Wrong again. What good would it be to pit them against you? We all know what you are capable of. No, I have another _contender_ in mind." At his words, Edward stiffened beside me. His body rocked forward and back slightly and I knew he was fighting with himself, wanting to attack, but knowing it would only hinder us.

"Touch him," my body was still crouched, my eyes intent on both Aro and Charlie, "and I'll kill you."

"Enough!" Charlie's face was burning red as he fought hard to break free. "No one's killing anyone else. What has gotten into you, Bella?"

"Dad, please, just stay still and quite. I've got this all under control."

"You certainly do not, young lady," his head turned around slightly. "Now let me go, we're going home, and this is all being reported to the authorities."

Laughter erupted from them all, stinging my ears and filling me with malice. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on, how long I could keep myself from losing control. Deep in my bones I could feel something was about to happen. One of my desires was about to take control, and someone was about to die, but whom? Under all their laughter I heard something else. Footsteps.

They were all too intent in their joy, Charlie was turning redder by the minute, continuing to scold each and every one of them. To my surprise none of them noticed, none of them heard the group of people making their way silently down the hall. Edward and I were the only one's not oblivious to what was coming and the fire could be seen in both our eyes. Using their distraction to my advantage, I slipped out of my shield for a moment, desperate to know what the plan was.

_Does Alice have a plan? _Quickly he raised his chin and then let it fall. _Is someone going to get Charlie out of here first thing?_ Another yes. _Esme? _His eyes widened with joy, and I knew he too was happy that she wouldn't be around for the coming fight. _Do they know how many are here? Has everyone already picked someone? _He looked down at me, smiling but holding an air of disapproval at me. _What? I am not sitting out for this, I want Felix._ He shook his head no, and I wasn't sure if that meant someone had already called him, or he just wasn't going to allow it. _Fine, but I'm not taking one of the weak ones._ His features hardened and I could tell he was very unhappy with my wishes. _Need I remind you that I had no problem taking Chelsea out on my own? Piece of Cake. Demetri. He's mine--no ifs, ands, or buts. _He pulled me close to him, making sure I knew this was far from what he wanted.

A split second later the door flew open and the Cullen's ran in. My eyes rushed to take them in, trying to compare them to the memories I had. Esme smiled warmly at me then ran across the room, grabbing Charlie in her arms and rushing out. Demetri made a B-line to chase her but I got to him first, slamming him down on the ground and holding him there. Even though I hadn't fed in a long time, my mind couldn't process just how long it had been since I had seen the Cullens awakened strength from within me.

Everyone was crouched, everyone but Aro. He stood just in front of his chair, looking around at his newest guests. Carlisle met his gaze, but didn't speak or move; Alice was just behind him, almost hidden behind his strong frame. Emmett's face held the largest smile I had ever seen, while Rosalie looked as though she were fighting between being excitement and annoyance. Lastly my eyes landed on Jasper, his teeth bared and his body low, looking more frightening than anything I had ever seen. In that moment I was scared--not for us, or our safety, but for anyone who went up against him or tried to harm Alice.

"Well, well, this is a most interesting surprise. It seems as though you've been keeping some things from me, dear Alice."

"Maybe just a few things." Even though she was tense, ready, her voice was still soft and sweet.

"It has been far too long, dear Carlisle."

"Yes. It is a shame we have to meet under such circumstances."

"It is indeed. I am sure we can work all this out somehow."

"I don't see how," Edward spoke harshly through is pulled back lips. "You won't let us leave any other way."

"Bella made a promise to us."

"I made a promise to stay with you a short time, no amount was even negotiated. I've stayed plenty long enough, so now I'm leaving."

"That may be, but you have killed one of your own."

"Nice job by the way." Emmett's face lit up as he smiled at me, truly proud of what I had done.

"As I was saying. We are the law, and it is our job to uphold it."

"Even against yourself?" I was still holding Demetri down but I could feel myself growing weaker. "You've killed hundreds over the years, what makes this any different? Haven't you ever heard of self-defense?"

"I grow tired of all this talking. That is all you ever want to do anymore, Aro. Let us kill them all and be done with it." Caius was ready, his eyes fixed on Carlisle.

Part of me wanted to protect them all, to make sure no harm came to any of them, but I knew that wasn't possible. Everyone seemed to be paired off. Felix and Emmett were across from each other, both trying to look larger than the other, each failing. Rosalie and Alice had their eyes locked on the wives, smiling slightly at their weak appearances. Edward was fixed on Aro and the larger of the other three. It seemed as though he expected to make quick work of the first and move on to the second. Jasper was ready to take on the last two and I knew as soon as he was done with them he would rush to Alice's side, though he and I both knew she wouldn't need it. Jane was still gone, but if she came back, I'd be ready.

"If that is how it must be then, that so it shall." As the words came out of his mouth a frown fell upon his face. Aro knew how this would end, he had to know, they were old, they were weak, and they were over confident.

Looking down the line, I could read the feelings in each and every face in the room. When I landed on Alice my heart raced; she held a glimmer in her eyes, a smile was hidden in the corner of her mouth, and I knew what it meant. Edward's was not as hopeful. It held fear and worry as he searched my eyes, and in response I smiled.

"I love you," I called to him.

"And I love you," he whispered back.

"It was wonderful to have met you all," Aro called out as his knees bent slightly. "It truly is a shame to waste such talent."

With that Jasper took off, flying across the room with a loud crash.

And in a matter of seconds, it was on.

*****

A/N: Well that chapter was a LONG time coming. Sorry to leave you hanging for so long, but life caught up with me.

But now finals are over, and I have a 2-week break. Hopefully the next chapter will be up in a timelier manner, but if not, it is only because I am almost to the end of this little story, and the thought of that really has me upset. Maybe that is why it is taking me so long to finish.

As always I send my love to my beta, my [t20s] and all my readers.

I hope everyone had a very safe and Happy Holiday and a VERY happy New year to each and every one of you.


	11. Chapter 11: Showdown

People always talk about how their lives flash before their eyes just before they die. That didn't happen. Maybe it was because I was already technically dead; maybe it was because I was in no danger of losing, though in those few minutes I was thoroughly unsure of how things would end. People also talk about how clear things become, how during times of extreme adrenaline they feel like they can see everything, hear everything, even taste everything. That much was true. Even without having extra sensitive sensors, I was heightened in every way.

Everyone in the room was moving faster than a normal human could see. Bodies were slamming off walls; limbs were flying through the air. A sound like thunder echoed off the walls, along with the cracking of tree branches, though they weren't tree limbs that were being stripped from their home. The vampire version of blood streaked the walls, sliding down to the ground to form pools of death, though the smell was sickly sweet instead of metallic.

Demetri put up much more of a fight than Chelsea had. One minute I was winning, the next him. From where I was, I could tell Jasper had already finished off one of the stray vampires and so had Edward. Carlisle and Caius were in a stalemate, Cauis seeming to be too weak to inflict much damage, and Carlisle too compassionate. Alice and Rosalie were both finished, making quick work of picking up the pieces of the Volturi wives to burn. Emmett and Felix seemed to be just as evenly matched as I'd predicted, neither one looked scratched or even tired.

Just as I pinned Demetri to the ground, ready to finally finish him off, someone grabbed me from behind. My arms were pinned back in a moment of confusion, and before I could struggle to get free, Demetri jumped me. His mouth was at my neck, ripping and tearing at my tough flesh. It seemed easy for him, pulling off chunks at a time, all the while I felt myself growing weak. In that instant, Edward's eyes caught mine and he turned towards me. Big Mistake.

When he was almost to me, Aro and the other vampire were on him, ready to pull him limb from limb. Pulling as hard as I could I worked to get free, my eyes filled with rage at the sight of them hurting the man I loved. Finally I could feel my arms pulling free, then suddenly the one holding me – I realized it was Jane from the horrid smell, malice mixed with content and dirt – let go, and my hands were free. Throwing Demetri off me and into the wall, I ran to Edward.

The other vampire was all too easy to kill, his limbs popped off like a toys', though the snapping sound was very loud and satisfying. Once that was finished, I darted back to where Demetri lay on the ground, ready to finally finish him. Alice was already by him, holding him down waiting for a helping hand. As I made my way quickly over, I caught sight of who had pulled Jane off of me, and the shock of it almost caused me to lose balance. Rosalie was in the process of ripping Jane apart, adding her pieces to the pile.

Shaking my head and storing the information in my brain to think about later, I grabbed hold of Demetri, pulling with all my might. Within seconds we were finished, and looking around, I took in the scene. Caius and Aro were both being held captive by Edward and Carlisle, and Emmett was still fighting with Felix, who seemed to have not only lost a limb, but a few facial features. As Alice and Rosalie added more parts to the pile, Jasper jumped on Felix's back, pulling him down from behind. Suddenly Emmett was on top of him, gnawing and ripping at his throat like a hungry animal. In that moment I saw the grizzly come out in him, there was no other way to describe it. With a finally yell of pain from Felix it was over, as his legs were removed roughly from his body.

Normal humans would be panting, exhausted, ready to collapse. With vampires, that wasn't true. We were all hyped up, ready for more, and our breath was as calm as if we'd just woken up from a nights' sleep. A few of us had ripped clothes, some of our hair was twisted and tangled, but only I had visible wounds, which throbbed and stung as the air hit them. Aside from all that we were happy, triumph filled our features, small smiles spread across our lips, and our shoulders pulled back with pride. It was finally over and we had won.

Carlisle's eyes were on me instantly and I saw his nostrils flare slightly. He called for Jasper to take his place holding Caius, who was weak and broken, but still alive; well, our approximation of alive. In a split second he was on me, checking over the spots on my neck where Demetri had ripped the flesh. Edward's eyes caught mine as his ears perked, and he let go of Aro; luckily Emmett was there to take his place.

"Bella." Anguish filled his voice as the word flew from his mouth.

"I'm fine." The lie was small, but easy to say, after all; compared to what could have happened, I really was.

"How bad is it?" He was speaking to Carlisle now, all the while holding my hand tightly in his own.

"She'll heal just fine." With that Carlisle left the room to grab a black bag he had obviously left in the hall, and then proceeded to bandage up my neck, which he said really didn't need it, but habit wouldn't allow him not to.

After that he went back to Jasper and Emmett, pulling his phone out of the bag to call Esme, who returned moments later, alone. Looking around the room caused the exhaustion to finally hit me. Not physical exhaustion--actually I felt as though I could run a marathon--but emotional. In the last few months so much had changed. Hell, in the last year so much had changed. I'd fallen in love, lost that love, died in a sense, got my love back, almost lost my father, almost lost my whole new family, killed more people than I cared to think of, and yet in that moment, I was happy.

"You have always been so compassionate and forgiving, Carlisle, and it will be your downfall," Caius' voice cut through the silence like a very sharp knife. "You should kill us now or you will live to regret it. I can promise you that."

"You may rebuild, you may find new followers, but no one will ever forget what has happened here today." Carlisle's voice was strong and confident as he held on tightly to Esme.

"Enough." Aro's voice was small and weak, which matched his physical look. "I am through. Today was almost my last, and though I've lived many centuries, I am not yet ready to meet a final end. This day I make peace with each and every one of you. Though you have killed my mate, I haven't the strength to avenge her, I realize that. It is surely obvious to you all that I felt no love for any other member of my family, only comfort in their companionship or pleasure in their abilities. But now that they are gone, and I am much alone, I am unsure what to do with myself. One thing is for certain, I no longer have any wish to be enemies with you; your lot is much too powerful, much too interesting."

"Aro, you can't be serious?"

"I am, dear Ciaus. This is the path I have now chosen, and I do not expect you to choose the same, but I would be most honored if you would, as I fear without you I will be most lonely."

"Thank you." Carlisle was now bowing low to both, an indication to Jasper and Emmett to release them.

Edward made no motion to stop this action, so I was sure whatever they were thinking, it wasn't about retaliation, or tricking us. They both surely knew that even if they could work together to take one of us down, they would never make it out alive. All of this was happening in my peripheral, but I saw every motion, every twitch, heard every word. A calm seemed to wash over the whole room, and I could feel that soon we would leave, which ignited a spark in my body. Finally I'd get to leave--my prison for the last few months would be across the world from me, a distant dream, a horrible nightmare I could work on forgetting.

"And with that we will take our leave. I, of course, am most sorry that things had to come to this, but you left us no choice." As Carlisle started to turn and walk away, Esme held tightly to his side and I could see a flicker of something on Aro's face.

"We left you no choice?" Confusion swept across his features, filling every inch from his strong chin to the line of his dark hair.

"Yes." Turing to face him, he let go of Esme who walked over to our side where Jasper and Alice stood holding hands, and Emmett and Rosalie were embracing forcefully.

"Would you mind explaining that; I fear in my old age I must be missing something." The fire of evil returned to his eyes just then.

"You will most likely not understand, but this is my family," he turned his head and gestured with his hand to all of us. "And when your family is in danger, you help them. Love is not an emotion you seem to be familiar with, but that is what this all boils down to."

"Love." Aro's eyes seemed to be filled with longing, a longing to know what love truly felt like, and in that moment I pitied him.

"Yes, love. All of our relationships aren't just for companionship or pleasure. In all honesty I can say each one of us loves the other, either as a sister or brother, mother or father, son or daughter, or as a partner." Carlisle's words rang true to me, though love may not be exactly the feeling that Rosalie and I shared, except something in my mind was shouting '_She did save your life after all.'_

"I see. It seems that you and your, family are different from the rest of us in more than one way." Something seemed to be moving in his brain, like a hamster on a wheel. "So with that, good day to you all. I hope your next visit to us is under better circumstances and does not yield the same ending."

"Goodbye, old friends." And with that Carlisle turned on his heel, reached for Esme's hand, and led us all from the room.

I realized then that I had no idea what time it was, let alone what day or what month. Everything seemed to blur together in the weeks I'd spent held captive in that old castle. As we all climbed in the elevator and made our way to ground level everyone seemed to hold their breath, almost unable to be truly relieved until we were outside of the building, or even better, the city.

When we were finally out of the building, which loomed behind us even more ominous than it had been the day I arrived, Jasper quickly retrieved a large duffle bag that was hidden behind some trash cans in the alley we were in. Pulling out hats, gloves, and even a few umbrellas he passed them all to us while Esme slunk off silently through a door to our right.

"There are two cars just a few blocks over. It's noon, so there won't be much shade, but try to stay to the walls as best as possible, without looking noticeable of course." Jasper was in captain mode and he played the role well. He and Alice barely took their eyes off each other, which seemed to be more sexual and private than Rose and Emmett's constant touching and feeling.

As I pulled the dark purple gloves firmly over my hands, tucking the ripped sleeves of my black shirt into them, a large black hat found its way on my head. The sides of it stuck out several inches, and it looked ridiculous with what I was wearing, but it would shield the sun. Turning around I found Edward staring down at me with intent eyes.

"Soon we'll be home, and we'll be safe," he whispered in my ear.

"And soon," I said softly in reply, reaching up to stroke a finger across his lips, "we'll be alone."

"Why, Miss Swan," his fingers roamed down my side, finding their way to my lower back. One side of his mouth lifted higher than the other as both his eyebrows raised in unison. "I do believe you are having inappropriate thoughts about me."

"And you said you couldn't read my mind." At that moment my cheeks would have flushed if they could.

"You two can get a room when we get home," Emmett yelled over at us. Turning to look, they were all staring at us, only adding to my embarrassment. "Some of us would like to get on the plane now. The sooner we get home the sooner we can rip some other things apart." A grin spread across his and Jasper's face as Rose and Alice rolled their eyes.

According to Carlisle, Esme would meet us at the cars once she had retrieved Charlie from the spot she'd hidden him. The walk to the car seemed to take forever, as we had to move at human pace and make sure we went unnoticed. Even though the Volturi were gone, there was still a danger in being discovered.

When we were finally at the outer edge of the city I could see the two cars. Both SUVs had deeply tinted windows, and, I was sure, were worth more than my father's house. Esme was already in the passenger seat of one, and Carlisle jumped in the driver's seat, kissing her lightly on the cheek in greeting. Rosalie and Emmett got in behind him, and Jasper and Alice made for the other, taking the front two seats. Edward opened the door for me, and as I turned to look at the back seat, I saw it was empty.

"Where is Charlie?" Looking out through the tint I peered into the other car.

"For his safety, he will be riding with the others," Jasper's voice was calm, and said that I was not the only one he needed to be kept safe from. With all the heat of the fight and events of the day, we all seemed to be a little more on the hungry side. "We'll head East out of the city, then North to the airport, and he'll get on a flight home. All of us will be on a private jet."

I wanted to protest, to claim I was stronger than that, but I wasn't sure. Of course eventually I'd have to learn, have to focus on controlling the burning that was always present in the back of my throat, but it would have to wait.

"Could we stop on the way?" My voice sounded so small in the close confines of the car.

"What for?" Jasper seemed confused, sure that leaving, and leaving quickly, was what we all wanted.

"Well, some of us have kinda been held captive for the last few months. As in, some of us haven't had much to drink in the last two weeks."

"Oh." Just then he pulled out a phone to call the other car. It was decided that while we stopped, they would continue on, setting up all the flight details and the like.

We traveled in silence after that, driving for about forty minutes until we were in the dead of the country, trees and hills springing up in every direction. I didn't read or speak Italian, but they all seemed to, and I was looking forward to the extra awake hours to learn. Jasper turned down a road to the left, driving for a few more minutes until we reached a park. There were a few picnic tables around, but no cars or people. After he parked, we all got out and let the smells of nature hit us. There seemed to be a family of deer off to the north, a wild boar digging a large hole to the west, and a slew of rabbits all around. With each smell my stomach turned with disgust but my mouth watered nonetheless.

Bounding through the trees I made my way toward the deer, Edward and Alice close behind me. Though the taste would be horrible, it would help, and of the few types of blood Alice had me try, it was the most tolerable. Creeping through the shade of the Cyprus trees, I crouched low, waiting for just the right moment. Leaping out in a flash I took the largest one down, grabbing it hard around the neck. Alice and Edward followed suit, and as they did the rest of the group scrambled.

The blood was warm as it trickled down my throat. My hands gripped tighter as I took in as much as I could. As I remembered, the taste was horrible, but the more I drank, the more I came to enjoy the flavor. It was as though I could taste this deer's life, what it had eaten, where it had been, and then, it was all gone. Letting go I ran my tongue across my lips, pulling in the last drops of blood before wiping the back of my hand across my mouth.

Making our way back to the car we found Jasper waiting, his eyes glowing golden just like the other two. He had another bag, this one full of clothes and I dug through to find a more suitable and less torn outfit. We climbed back in the car after changing. Of course Alice and I sent the boys off into the woods while we did so, though I was sure she only did that for my sake. Jasper had surely seen her naked. Taking off down the road, Jasper pushed the car's speed to its limit.

A few minutes later we were in the city, driving down its crowded streets to the airport. Pulling into the rental car section we unloaded the two bags we had, which caused a few puzzled glances from people, wondering how four people had so little luggage. Edward asked for directions to our terminal and we made our way through the packed building in search of our private flight. Edward and Alice each had an arm around me, holding on tightly, all the while eyeing Jasper nervously.

Even as the air swirled around our faces, the scents dancing down my nose, it didn't hit me has hard as it once had. I hoped it was because I was growing stronger, that the animal blood was working to help me abstain; but then again, no one was bleeding, and I shuddered at the thought if they had been. The amount of people was slowly decreasing, and up ahead, according to Alice, lay the door to our flight. The others were nowhere in sight and I assumed that meant they were waiting for us, and knowing Emmett, very impatiently.

Going through the door we made our way down a rickety set of stairs and out onto the loading area. I'd never entered a plane from a staircase off the ground, and something about it seemed so regal, like it was only something that happened in movies. Once inside we found the others, each sitting in a comfortable white leather chair, which were lined up against the walls, leaving the middle open. They had all changed their clothes and were looking as perfect as always.

"About time, we were going to leave without you," Emmett nudged Jasper in the ribs as he took a seat next to him on the left wall.

"Sorry, but some of us were a little thirsty," Alice smiled as she slid into the seat next to Jasper.

"Guess it's a good thing you stopped. We'd be shit out of luck if Bella suddenly got hungry and killed the pilot," Emmett's grin covered his whole face as I sat down across from him.

"Not necessarily." Taking the seat next to me, Edward pulled my hand into his.

"Let me guess, you know how to fly a plane?"

"Nothing to it."

As we all settled in, the plane took off. It seemed that aside from the pilots, there was no other crew, which was probably for the best. Jasper and Emmett talked at length about the fight. Even though the whole ordeal had lasted less than ten minutes, they seemed to be able to fill hours going over it. Alice and Rosalie were looking at magazines, both of which seemed to be huge, and in Italian. Carlisle and Esme didn't talk; they didn't do anything but sit there, holding hands.

Edward turned to me, placing a hand on my cheek and we sat like that the whole flight home. This was not the time or the place for a talk, even though I could feel my mouth starting to say the words. Biting back my tongue, I thought up some other subject to discuss. All my mind could think of was him, the way his eyes glowed in the dim cabin light, the smell that came off his skin, the pout of his lips that begged to be kissed. Imagining all the things I wanted to do, all the things I wanted to feel, I felt a tingle roll through my body, all the way down to my toes.

"What are you thinking?" something in his eyes said he hoped I was thinking the same thing he was.

"Would you really like to know?" A smile spread across my face as he nodded at me, gripping my hand even tighter.

Pushing out slowly, I felt my shield leave me and hover out just a few feet from where I was sitting. My head raced with thoughts, images, ideas, of all the things I wanted to do to him. Most of them involved he and I, naked, doing things I'd never done before. A spark lit behind his eyes as the visions played out in his head. Just then the announcement was made that we were landing, and the disruption caused me to snap my shield back in place.

"So when we get home," I said, pausing to cause his longing to increase.

"Yes," his whole body seemed to ache with want, to inch closer and closer to me.

"What I really want," trailing a finger along his lip, I felt him shudder slightly under it.

"Yes," his breath caught in his throat.

"Is a faster car."

*****

A/N

As always, thank you, thank you, thank you. Reading reviews is like the highlight of my day, so keep them coming.

This is my first update of the year, and hopefully it will start it off with a bang of sorts.

Sadly there is probably only one chapter left in this little fic, but hopefully you all will stick around for whatever I come up with next.

To my Beta LWM, thanks much, and I can't WAIT for our long drive to Miami this weekend.

This chapter is for my [t20s] who made 2009 amazing, and who I KNOW will make 2010 even better. You all are more than I ever expected to have!

This weekend may be the end of my life. I'm finally going to meet Charlie Bewley at Twi Tour Miami, so if I die from excitement, know that I went happy. Oh and if you're going to be there, say hi, I'm always glad to meet fellow Twi-hards.


	12. Chapter 12: The Ever After

As the plane made it's descent I could feel my nerves tingling. Outside the sky shone bright, reflecting into the one uncovered window and into my eyes. The time changes confused me and somehow it seemed that even though hours had passed, the clock stayed the same. Everyone started putting on coats, hats, gloves, and scarves. Outside the wind would bite and sting; the temperature would be freezing, but it wouldn't matter. None of that would affect us, but the freezing rain that was falling would allow us to cover ourselves without looking conspicuous.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Edward's voice was soft in my ear, causing confusion to sweep over me.

"Putting on my gloves." The edge of his mouth pulled up slightly as I turned to face him.

"We aren't getting off just yet."

"I don't understand."

"Ha!" Emmett's voice filled the plane, startling me. "Guess the plane is the only thing that's gonna be making a trip down the runway."

"Emmett, that's enough," Esme's voice was sweet but stern, much like her gaze. "Bella, dear, we're in New York now, and we are all getting off the plane to catch a flight to our house; well, where we have been living, that is. Once we pack up all of our things we'll be meeting you two back in Forks, which is why you're staying on this plane."

"Oh." A light bulb over my head would have been less obvious than the face I made. Even without the ability to blush my complexion was widely spread on my features.

Once they had all filed off the plane after saying their quick goodbyes, and after several elbows in the ribs from Emmett, we were on our way. The plane refueled and taxied out to take its place on the runway. There was an eerie silence in the cabin, one that wasn't a true silence, as I could easily hear the pilots and every sound of the plane.

Edward was busying himself, reading a newspaper, writing in a notebook, doing anything and everything to avoid my gaze. There was a slight tension between the two of us that I'd never felt before, one that only appeared when we were alone, and on our way to a house that we would have all to ourselves for at least twenty-four hours. My mind raced with thoughts and ideas of what was going on. Was he just nervous? Was he not ready for this? Did he not want to be alone with me? Shaking my head I decided to stop worrying and ask him outright.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." His body was perfectly still, and when he inched slightly farther away it almost screamed at me.

"Liar."

"I am not."

"I may not be able to read minds, but it is obvious something is going on, and you're going to tell me what. Do you not want to be alone with me?"

"You know that is not true."

"Then what is it? Ten minutes ago you couldn't sit close enough to me, and were practically pulsing with the idea of us alone together. Now it is like I have cooties and you won't even look at me for fear of catching them."

"That's not it at all. Please don't think that; you know I love you. It's just that--" his mouth fell slightly as though he were working hard on phrasing his words exactly the right way.

"It's just that you are feeling too many different things at the same time?"

"And I thought you couldn't read minds," he smirked slightly, moving an inch closer to me.

"I can't read yours, but I can read mine, and that is exactly how I feel." Closing my eyes, I braced myself for the feelings that would flood through me when his gaze met mine. "Look, I know we have a lot to talk about still, and I know we have a lot to work out, but we have forever; all of that can wait. There are a few matters _much_ more pressing right now that we should worry about."

"And what matters would those be?" Something in his eye glimmered and I knew his mind was in the same plane as mine, but he was still going to make me say it.

"Hormones." The embarrassment that would have flushed my face spread into my throat, causing my voice to crack slightly.

"Oh." His eyes broke from mine, and I knew I'd hit the nail on the head.

"Things seem a little different now that we aren't under any kind of pressure or in danger." Grabbing the back of my hand I pinched the skin, twisting it around nervously.

His head shot up then, his face holding some expression I didn't quite understand. "Do you think I only wanted to be with you before because I thought we wouldn't get out of there? Because it was then or never?"

"No, yes, maybe. I'm not sure what to think. Everything seems as though it happened so long ago, it's all so confusing. And yes, I think we got caught up in the moment; no, I don't think you only wanted it then, and maybe I don't know what you want." Closing my eyes tightly, I worked on sorting out my words, putting them in the best order to convey what I really felt. "I want this; I want you forever. I understand if you think we moved too quickly before, but I don't. I would have gone through with it if we'd had the time, and if we were alone, I'd do it again right now." Peeking up at him through my lashes, I worked on gauging his response. His face was solid, thoughtful. He didn't answer; instead, he took my hands in his, rubbing his thumbs lightly over my skin. Leaning forward he placed his lips softly against my forehead, holding them there for several seconds. When he finally pulled away there was a spark of something in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Never in my life have I wished that someone could read my mind as much as I do at this very moment. I won't bring up the past again until you are ready to discuss it, but know this--the things that happened between us in that castle were exactly what I wanted to happen, then and now."

His lips met mine--forceful, full of fire. My hands let go of his, running up his neck and twining around his hair. Before I knew what was happening I was on his lap, straddling him and moving slowly up and down. The clothes between us were binding, keeping me from the one thing I truly wanted, truly needed--him. His tongue darted into my mouth, teasing me slightly. Suddenly he stopped.

"You know, we could jump from the plane. We'd be fine, and would make it to the ground much quicker than waiting till we make it all the way home."

"As tempting as that sounds, is that really what you want?" Leaning back slightly, I tried to calm myself, knowing it would be at least another hour before we landed.

"Of course not, but it's an option." Lifting me up, he moved both my legs to the same side of his body so I was sitting on his lap in a more appropriate way. "Bella, this is my first time, too, and I want it to be special. Even though I wouldn't have regretted it if we had been able to go through with it in Volterra, I'm glad we didn't."

Crossing my legs I turned away from him, leaning my head back to rest on his shoulder. He buried his face in my hair, inhaling my scent every few minutes as we inched closer and closer to home. Wrapping his arms tightly around me, he locked his fingers in mine as I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what life would be like now. Obviously school was not an option, at least not for a long time. So what would my days consist of? I could see myself staying home with Esme while the others went off to live their pretend human lives.

"That's not exactly how I pictured it." The sound of his voice caused my eyes to slam open quickly. Somehow in my relaxed state the walls of my shield fell down, allowing him into my mind. "I was thinking _I_ would be the one to stay home with you; that is, if you'd like."

"You aren't going to drop out of school for me."

"Bella," his laugh echoed off the plain white plastic walls of the cabin. "Do you even know how many times I've gone through high school?"

"Edward." After a few minutes of silence I found myself able to speak the words I was scared to. "Will we be able to stay?"

"Of course. We'll work on this together. If we can get Jasper to abstain, we can do the same for you."

"Was it hard for him? I mean, obviously he still has trouble sometimes, but is it every day?"

"I think that is a conversation best left between you and him."

"Excuse me," a voice called out over the intercom. "We will be landing in just a few minutes."

"I'm scared." Thoughts raced through my mind of all the things that could happen while we waited for the other Cullens to return.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to." There was a slight hint of disappointment in his voice.

"That's not what I'm scared of. I'm scared of myself, what I might do. Edward, you aren't stronger than I am, and what if I can't control myself and I, I kill someone? What if it is someone I know, someone I care about?"

"Do you honestly think I would let that happen? There is a car waiting for us and we'll drive straight home from the airport. I wouldn't take the chance of running with you, just incase."

As much as it showed how much he cared, it also showed how little he trusted me, and honestly, it hurt. There was a small stabbing pain in my chest, knowing that no one trusted me, not even myself. I knew the road ahead of me would be long, but with the others there to help me, I could make it to the end.

Climbing down the stairs, we made our way to Edward's car which glistened in the morning sunlight. It seemed that as we traveled west we raced time, and the clock read almost the same as it had all morning. Time was an odd feeling that I knew I wouldn't have to worry about anymore, but one that I suddenly found fascinating. As we got in the car, Edward held my hand tightly, speeding down the road. I tried to remember how this felt before, the fear that had filled me as the trees rushed by. This was nothing like that; in fact, I could make out every tree, every leaf and bird on the branches. All I could think was that I wished he would hurry, that he would push the car to is maximum speed and we would be home all that much sooner.

It wasn't really home. The Cullens house would of course be my new home, though I wasn't sure how long that would last. Maybe we'd be there for a week before moving someplace new, maybe a year; I wasn't Alice, so I couldn't predict the future. In that moment I realized I would never live with Charlie again. Part of me was saddened by the thought, by the idea that he and I may never be together again, but a small part of me knew I'd be okay because I still had a family.

"Bella," Edward's voice was soft in my ear, and as I shook my head I realized we were parked in the garage just beside the large white house. "We're home."

"Home," the word escaped my lips in a whisper. Taking his hand, we made our way up the steps and into the house. It was so different than I remembered it. For one thing, it was messy; not the normal kind of messy, but messy for them. There were newspapers on the tables, a game of chess half-played, and there were books lying all over the couch.

"We left in somewhat of a hurry, as you can tell. Esme would be so embarrassed if she were here."

"Honestly, I like it better this way than when it is perfectly clean. It feels more lived in now, like people actually live here."

"Would you mind waiting here, just for a minute?"

"Umm sure. Why?"

"There is just something upstairs I need to take care of."

"Okay." I wasn't exactly sure what he meant but I walked over to his piano when he was out of sight, running my fingers lightly along the keys. Even though I didn't know how to play I sat down, thinking about the last time I was on the bench, the sounds that flowed from inside the body of the piano. My lullaby.

"I could play it for you now, if you like." His voice sounded as though he was miles away, but he was next to me, sitting on the bench.

"Please." Moving over slightly I removed my fingers from the keys, allowing his to fall in the place mine had been. The song was so much more complex, much more beautiful than I remembered it. Even if the feelings behind it had changed slightly, the tune didn't alter; it still ended with a note of question, of uncertainty, and sadness.

His hands hovered over the keys, not even moving a fraction of an inch. My throat tightened up, as did all of my muscles, the same as they had just before the fight. Something was coming, something big, and I knew exactly what it was. At that moment I had no idea what to do, so I sat still, just as he did. Every inch of the air was packed with tension and I finally understood what they meant when they said it could be cut with a knife. He cleared his throat while slowly turning his head in my direction, keeping the rest of his body still.

Something inside me clicked and I pounced. The bench under us broke as I forced my lips onto his, pushing into him as hard as I could. Parts of my brain were yelling at me, telling me all the things I needed to know, wanted to do, and exactly how to do them. He was sprawled out on the ground under me amid the splinters of the bench. Quickly he sat up, reaching behind him to pull a chunk of wood from his back without ever breaking his lips' stride.

Wrapping my legs around his hips I held on tightly to his neck as he stood, turning to lay me down on top of the couch. With one hand still around his neck I shoved all the books off with the other before he had a chance to notice. He was hesitating, not moving past the bases we'd already covered. I knew he was ready; I could feel it, not only physically but emotionally, too; but something was holding him back, and as I much as I didn't want to, I knew I'd have to take the first step.

It wasn't how I had imagined it. As a girl, well as a human, the few times I had thought about it I'd always assumed I'd be the follower, not the leader. Part of me knew that if I took the first step he would leap ahead of me. Deep down I knew he was just waiting; biding his time to make sure this was what I truly wanted. Pulling back slightly I lifted the shirt from his body, allowing my hands to have easy access. My fingers went mad, running up and down his arms, clawing at the soft skin of his back, fighting to pull him closer.

Even with all of it I could still taste the reluctance in his kisses. His mouth trailed down my jaw, across my throat and up the other side. Leaning forward I took the lobe of his ear in my mouth, nibbling slightly before I flicked it with my tongue.

"I love you." Gently I brushed my lips down his cheek before finding his mouth again.

That was all the encouragement he needed to take the ball into his own court. After that there was no stopping him. My shirt flew off before I even had time to realize his hands had touched it. Luckily the bra I was wearing was a few years old, as it now lay on the floor next to us, ripped into pieces. When it came time to remove the clothing below the waist, he slowed. Lifting my hips slightly I urged him on, wanting nothing more than to satisfy the desires that were flowing through my body.

Our pace slowed then, creeping along in a way that made me want to rip my hair out. At this rate we wouldn't even start until the Cullens walked in the front door. I could only imagine the visions Alice was trying to banish from her mind at this very moment. Reaching down, I popped the button of his pants open one-handed, and then slid the zipper down slowly. The sound of him swallowing reverberated off the walls and blasted into my ears, ringing out louder than a car horn.

Just then he sat up, kneeling between my legs, which were bent at odd angles, one hanging off the edge, the other over the back of the couch. One hand ran through his hair while the other rubbed the back of his neck.

"This isn't how I pictured it." His eyes were cold, unsure.

"Am I doing something wrong?" my voice caught in my throat, worry trickled down my spine.

"No! Of course not. It's just that I had other plans."

"Other plans?"

He scooped me up, then, carrying me up the stairs as he rushed into his bedroom. Everything was perfect. Every inch of flat surface was covered in candles. There was a large black framed bed in the middle of the room, the rest of the furniture pushed up against the far wall. The clean white sheets were covered in red rose petals, and the room smelled of flowers and melted wax.

"Oh, Edward." My hand shot up to my eyes reflexively to wipe away the tears, but none were there. "You did all this for me?"

"Bella, I'd do anything for you."

We were on the bed now, his arms tracing the lines of my body, my legs hitched up his sides. I was ready, he was ready. Gently he reached down, pulling my pants off before removing his own. Instinct took over at that point and somehow I knew just what to do. My hips moved with a steady rhythm as he slid inside me. Our bodies found a pattern and molded together as we poured ourselves deeper and deeper into each other.

It wasn't that we were holding back, it was just that we were trying to keep from destroying the house. Esme wouldn't be happy to come home to a pile of wood and brick. Part of me felt like it could go on for hours, but part of me felt that at any moment I'd spontaneously combust from the pleasure. Edward seemed to feel the same, and I knew soon he would reach the peak. I wasn't far behind him, but I wanted us to reach the top at the same moment.

My shield was in place but somehow he knew just what I was thinking. Reaching down his fingers rubbed across me, causing my back to arch sharply. A moan started in my stomach and rolled its way up my throat and out my mouth as the pleasure waves rocked our bodies. There was no sweat or panting like in the movies. Our breathing was rapid to our own ears but would seem normal to anyone else.

We didn't move. Instead we lay there, drinking in the smells and sights of each other. Nothing needed to be said, nothing needed to be done. Everything in that moment was just how it was meant to be. Soon life would come back into the picture; we'd have things to work on: my thirst, our future, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was that us. Everything else could wait; after all, we had forever.

*****

A/N

The end has come! This is sadly the last chapter, there will be an Epi of course though.

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed, it means so much to me!!!

Of course thanks to my loves who have always been there for me.

Major thanks to my Beta who takes me out to dollar movies, and forgets my presents.

Stay tuned ladies, there will be more to come!


End file.
